


Mind, Body, Soul

by silveritas



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alpha Jensen, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Biting, Bonding, Bottom Jared, Bottom Jensen, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gratuitous Smut, Happy Ending, Knotting, M/M, Marking, Mates, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Self-Lubrication, Shameless Smut, Top Jared, Top Jensen, Werewolf Culture, Werewolf Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-12 04:53:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 129,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4466135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveritas/pseuds/silveritas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared has lived in secret shame his entire life, being the first beta child born to the powerful Alpha of San Antonio Pack.  When he ran away to find a new start and landed in Dallas, he never thought he could leave it all behind.  But a chance encounter with the young and enigmatic Alpha of Dallas has everything from his past coming back as he fights for control over himself as feelings he never thought he'd have drive him closer and closer to the handsome Alpha and force him to examine his own nature and what it means to be an unconventional Beta for an unconventional Alpha.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> See LJ post http://sammycolt24.livejournal.com/11727.html for art. 
> 
> Written for the spn_j2_bigbang 2015!
> 
> See http://luvmuffinfic.livejournal.com/30831.html for terminology used.

“Your request has been denied,” the attendant informs him.  
  
“Denied?” Jared asks.  “What?  Why?  I need this.  Isn’t there something you can do?”  
  
“I’m sorry, but you don’t have the necessary paperwork,” the attendant says, shoving the stack of citizenship forms back at him through the slot at the bottom of the window.  “We require two forms of I.D., a list of previous addresses, and if you come from a traditionalist Pack we have to have your notarized change of residency.  None of which you’ve been able to produce any of the other times you’ve filled this out.  I’m sorry for your inconvenience, but until you can properly complete the process, we’re going to have to ask you not to come back.”  
  
Jared gets ready to say something, probably something very rude and that might even carry a fine or get him tossed into a cell for a few hours by Dallas Pack Authority, but Misha intervenes, giving the attendant an apology as he drags Jared away.  
  
Jared wants to stay angry.  This whole situation is fucking stupid.  But with one look to his friend, he finds the fight leaving him, his shoulders slumping in defeat as a sinking feeling takes hold.  
  
“Thanks for coming with me, Mish,” Jared says.   
  
“Yeah, well, that’s what friends are for,” Misha says with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.  
  
Jared can’t blame him though.  He’s only witnessed Jared fail in his attempt to gain citizenship in Dallas Pack once a month for the last six months straight.  There’s only so many times Jared can fail before they run him out of the Pack, and he can’t hold on to his job for longer than a year without proper registration.  But he’s still on the run from his father, from his past.  He doesn’t think he’ll ever stop, but there’s no way he can go back, and it appears there’s no way forward for him either.   
  
“What are you going to do now?” Misha asks.  
  
“I’m not sure,” Jared shrugs.  “Save up as much as I can before they come hunting me down to chase me to the border and then I guess I’ll land where I land, you know?”  
  
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out by then,” Misha offers, and Jared wants to believe in the determination he finds in his friend’s fierce blue eyes, but if experience has taught him one thing, it’s that there’s nothing either of them can do.  Nothing short of his father’s approval would get him what he needs, and there’s no way he’s getting that.  
  
And Jared’s a little worried about that too.  The longer he stays in one place and the more he tries to get his registration in Dallas, the more likely it will be that his father tracks him down or that word will reach Gerald about his son’s whereabouts.  And then it’ll all be over.   
  
He shakes his head to rid himself of thoughts of his father, thoughts of Gerald finding him.  He’s done with that now.  He’s free, he’s away, and he’s not going back.  His father has no power here, he just has to remember that.  Dallas is the only hope he has in Texas, the only Pack that he stands a chance of being protected within, but if he can’t become Pack it will mean nothing.  
  
“Come on,” Misha says finally, breaking into Jared’s dark thoughts.  “Let’s get out of here.  I’ll even pay for your lunch.”  
  
“You sure about that?” Jared asks, raising an eyebrow at the smaller wolf.  
  
“Well, so long as you don’t go overboard,” Misha amends.  “ _Again._ ”  
  
“But Misha, I’m a growing boy,” Jared declares with a crooked grin.  
  
“I sincerely hope not,” Misha pulls a face.  “If you get any bigger you won’t be able to fit in my car.  I might have to even resort to strapping you to the roof.”  
  
“Aw, don’t be like that,” Jared says, breaking out his best puppy dog eyes.  “You wouldn’t let me starve, would you?”  
Misha sighs and dramatically rolls his eyes.  
  
“Quit that,” he orders.  “Don’t use those things on me.  It’s not fair.”  
  
Jared starts to laugh, but is cut off when he suddenly can’t concentrate on a word that Misha’s saying.  He hardly even notices that his companion has stopped admonishing him and is trying to get his attention and failing.  Horribly.  Because there’s something else, something he never even dared to dream of before, the barest hint of a scent so familiar and so new all at once.  
It’s hard to focus as a wave of longing hits him so hard he nearly breaks the phone in his hand as his grip tightens reflexively.  And then the smell of rain washes over him, rain and the outdoors and thunder and lightning and raw power, and it’s the best thing he’s ever smelled.  It’s like he’s taken a punch to the gut.  
  
“Misha… what?” Jared asks, finally locating his voice as he glances around, trying to find the source of that intoxicating scent.  
  
“It’s the Alpha,” Misha says, voice gravelly and sharp blue eyes worried as they lead Jared’s gaze to a man not too far from them.  
  
The only physical indication Jared can see that he’s the Alpha is the way all the other wolves defer to him so quickly, none of them looking him in the eye and their body language coming off as submissive and accommodating, even the other alphas.  And Jared can only see his back, but the Alpha is beautiful—strong, tall, and muscled with broad shoulders and a nice, rounded ass, and… bowed legs.  Dear.  God.  
  
The Alpha stiffens as Jared stares a hole into his back, as if he can feel Jared’s eyes on him, and then he sniffs the air, turning sharply toward Jared.  The second their eyes meet, Jared feels a whimper building in him as he catches the startling green of the Alpha’s gaze, mesmerized by the depth of their color.  His pulse pounds through his veins, another crippling wave of want crashing into him as he begins to feel the magnetic pull of the other wolf.  He can’t believe this is happening to him.  
  
The Alpha doesn’t appear to be unaffected either, he’s glad to notice, as he takes in the sharpening of the Alpha’s scent, like a storm growing in intensity, and the harsh rise and fall of his chest, the wolf scenting him from the other side of the room.  Jared hears a deep rumble from across the foyer and visions of the Alpha over him, biting him,  _fucking_  him assail him.  And as if he can’t control his own body, he feels his feet start to carry him forward, following the call of the Alpha’s presence, but Misha’s firm grip stops him.  Barely.  
  
“Do not approach the Alpha,” he warns in a low voice, holding Jared in place even as he snarls and struggles against Misha’s hold.  He has to get to this wolf.  “Jared,  _stop_.”  
  
At the sound of his name, Jared tears his eyes from the Alpha and takes in the panic on Misha’s face.  He’s made it halfway across the tile floor and was well on his way to the Alpha before Misha managed to stop him from breaking a very, very strict custom, even in progressive Dallas.  Jared has to remember that he does  _not_  have the Alpha’s permission to approach him in public, a privilege not bestowed upon many outside of the Alpha’s immediate family and the Council.  
  
“Our apologies, Alpha,” Misha says as the Alpha meets them in the middle, a look of slight curiosity schooled to a minimum on his handsome face as Misha averts his gaze in respect, tightening his hand on Jared as he feels the compulsion to move toward the Alpha again.  
  
Even though Misha still has the mental capacity to maintain the customs of dealing with the Alpha, Jared can’t seem to tear his eyes away from him and probably couldn’t lower his gaze and defer to the other wolf even under pain of death.  And there’s something else there, something dark and powerful between them, something holding the Alpha in place, making his eyes seem to glow as he stares back.  Jared can feel something building between them, electric and sparking, and he feels out of control and terrified, wonderful and incandescent all at the same time.  It’s almost too much to handle.  
  
“It’s all right,” the Alpha says at last, and at the sound of his voice, Jared has to bite off a whimper as each rich and deep sound goes straight to his dick.  “And you are?” he asks them.  
  
“I am Misha Collins, Alpha,” Misha answers.  “I teach history and philosophy at the university here in Dallas.”  
  
“And you?” the Alpha turns his attention on Jared.  
  
“Jared,” he croaks out, but just barely.  He doesn’t really trust his voice much anyhow.  
  
“Do you have a last name,  _Jared_?” the Alpha practically purrs his name, and he really doesn’t have the capacity to remember if he even really has a first name at this point, much less a last name.  
 Especially if the Alpha keeps talking to him like that.  
  
“Padalecki,” Misha supplies, coming to the rescue again.  “His name is Jared Padalecki, Alpha.”  
  
The mention of his last name is like ice water being dumped down his back.  It has a sobering effect that Jared’s certain the other two wolves can smell on him.  Jared isn't so sure that telling this wolf who he is is a good idea, but if it's one thing Jared knows it's that lying to a Pack Alpha is a very bad idea.  His father made sure he learned that particular lesson well.  
  
“Jared Padalecki,” the Alpha says slowly, like he’s trying to see how it feels in his mouth, his eyes raking over Jared’s body, leaving a trail of heat in their wake, making him almost forget the cold fear of this wolf knowing his full name.  “Of San Antonio Pack?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared answers, flushing hot as the Alpha’s eyes meet his again.  
  
“You’re Gerald’s son?” the Alpha asks.  
  
“His youngest son,” Jared manages in response, that knot of dread growing again the mention of his father’s name.  
  
“I was unaware that I had another Alpha’s blood in my Pack,” the Alpha comments, his voice and calm demeanor the only thing keeping the panic Jared can feel threatening to rise at bay.   
  
“I’m trying to gain citizenship,” Jared admits, wincing as the words tumble from his mouth.  This wolf could send him back home faster than his father could ever dream of.  It’s stupid and dangerous and he sorely wishes he could take it back, but maybe he won’t, maybe this time things will go his way.  After all, it would hurt Gerald’s pride more to admit that he’s hunting him down than losing his grip on Jared did in the first place.  Maybe this Alpha doesn’t know, and maybe the look he’s giving Jared means something and he’ll stay his hand.  
  
The Alpha considers him for a moment longer and then nods.  “Yes, the red tape around here can be particularly frustrating.  I take it you’re close to the deadline?” he asks and Jared nods.  “I’ll have a word and see what I can do about granting you more time.  We wouldn’t want a little thing like paperwork to get in the way of your residency,” he gives Jared a kind smile and Jared thinks he could die of gratitude right there.  
  
“Thank you, Alpha,” Jared stutters out.  “I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”  
  
“Well, being Alpha does have its occasional perks,” the Alpha says with a slight tint to his cheeks as his smile turns to a grimace, like it’s not something he’s particularly proud of.  “But as I seem to recall, your grandfather and mine were great allies and friends.  I see no reason we can’t continue this tradition,” he explains.  “Are you free for lunch sometime this week?  I’d like to get to know the youngest Padalecki son, if you wouldn’t mind.”  
  
“Not—not at all,” Jared stutters.  And holy shit.  A private meeting.  One on one.  With the Alpha.  He’s never going to live through that.  
  
“Great,” the Alpha smiles and it blows Jared away the way his face lights up.  “Give my office a call and we’ll set it up,” he commands as he hands Jared a business card and then gives them a nod.  
  
“Gentlemen,” he says in closing, both of them tipping their heads and replying with  _Alpha_  as he fixes Jared with another heated look and then takes his leave.  
  
As soon as the Alpha is out of the building again, a weight lifts off of Jared’s chest and he feels like he can breathe again.  And think.  That’s a big one there.  He has no idea what came over him, what happened to make him lose his shit so thoroughly.   Well, that’s kind of a lie.  He has a good idea of what happened to him, but the Alpha is a completely different matter.  Regardless, he knows that there’s no way in hell he’s missing  _any_  time with the Alpha, despite whether or not he’ll actually be able to conduct himself in a civilized manner.   
  
“Misha,” he says, the name full of questions and meaning he can’t quite articulate yet.  
  
“What was that all about?” Misha demands, eyeing him oddly.  “If I didn’t know better, I’d have suspected you’re--”  
  
“I am,” Jared admits harshly.  
  
“But that’s--”  
  
“Unheard of?” Jared snorts.  Yeah, he knows.   
  
“I’d never even suspected or even felt the need to ask.  And you--”  
  
“Do you have any idea what it’s like to be the first beta son born into a Pack Alpha’s family in more than ten generations?” Jared asks.  “I was born to an Alpha, I was raised as an alpha, and for all intents and purposes I  _am_  an alpha.”  
  
“Except where you’re not,” Misha says, gazing at him appraisingly.  “You hide it exceptionally well.”  
  
“Not well enough, apparently,” Jared mutters.  “I couldn’t stop the way I reacted to him.”  
  
“Neither could he,” Misha points out.  
  
“I’m not a beta, Misha,” Jared insists.  “I’m no one’s bitch.  I’m supposed to be an alpha.”  
  
“Maybe in your head, but not in your heart, Jared,” Misha says sympathetically.  “You are a beta, and he is not an idiot.  He knows, and he knows what just occurred between you two is significant.  It’s not just for anyone the Alpha would toss out Pack policy.”  
  
“I know,” Jared says and then swears softly.  “I need to get some silver for that meeting.  I’ll never make it through lunch without it.”  
  
“I have just the thing,” Misha gives him a hopeful smile.  
  
Jared’s just come home from Misha’s, and he takes a deep breath as he feels some of the tension from the afternoon leave his body.  Never in his life would he have ever entertained the barest hint of imprinting on another wolf, yet here he sits, willing his body into submission and trying to calm the urge to seek out the one whose scent he’s caught.  It’s an odd place for him to be.   
  
He’s considering a shower or a beer to unwind when his phone goes off in his pocket.  He pulls it out and glances down at the screen but doesn’t recognize the number.  His curiosity is too great and something tells him he needs to take this call, so he taps  _accept_  and brings it up to his ear.  
  
“Hello?” he asks cautiously.  
  
“Is this Jared?” the voice on the other end of the line responds, deep and rich and resonating.  He knows without a doubt that it’s the Alpha.  
  
“Yes,” Jared answers.  
  
“Ah, finally,” the Alpha says.  “Do you know how hard it is to get an unlisted number?  Even if you’re Pack Alpha?”  
  
“Um, no?” Jared says dumbly.  
  
“Well, it’s pretty freaking hard,” the Alpha chuckles.  “You’re a difficult man to track down.”  
  
“I’m sorry?” Jared offers, kind of confused.  
  
“It’s all right,” the Alpha says and Jared can hear the smile in his voice.  “Listen, I know it’s a bit creepy of me to have done all that just to call you, but I got to thinking about it, and I’d rather invite you out to lunch myself than have you call my assistant and set up an appointment.  That was really rude of me.”  
  
“It’s no big deal,” Jared assures him, shrugging though the other wolf won’t be able to see.   
  
“Well, there was that, and I was also afraid you weren’t going to call,” the Alpha says, tone dropping to something completely different, something Jared can’t identify.  “I get that it’s weird and sometimes people are intimidated, but I don’t want it to be like that between us.”  
  
“I think I understand,” Jared says.   
  
“Great!  So we’re still on?” the Alpha asks.  
  
“Of course,” Jared agrees.  
  
“Can you do tomorrow?  Or is that too soon?” the Alpha continues.  
  
“No, tomorrow is perfect,” Jared accepts and feels lighter than he has in days.  Maybe this’ll be a good thing.  
  
The Alpha gives him instructions on where his office is located and the best places to park, and they agree on a time.  The Alpha makes sure Jared has his personal number, work number, and the two different numbers of his assistant before they hang up.   
  
It’s going to be strange, but Jared thinks that if it’s this wolf, then he can deal with it.   
  
This one is special.

 

  
* * *

  
Jared’s known about his beta status for a while now.  And his father knew well before he ever did.  It’s something that was never spoken of, but Gerald never let him forget, parading his strong  _alpha_  son around, showing Jeff off and reminding Jared of what he could never be.  It wasn’t always easy growing up, but no one in San Antonio ever even suspected he wasn’t an alpha, or they never voiced it and he remained the Padalecki family’s dirty little secret.  
  
In Dallas, though, he has no political power.  The first person to realize his bloodlines was Misha, and now the Dallas Alpha himself knows.  And the absolute  _last_  thing he can do is waltz into this meeting with the Alpha, panting like a bitch in heat.  He’d probably die outright from the embarrassment alone.  And there’s no telling what the Alpha would do.   
  
So here he is, making his way to the Alpha’s office, picking every now and then at the silver and leather cuff that itches his skin where it rests on his wrist.  The silver’s not concentrated enough to burn, but Misha assured him that the concentration would dampen his senses enough to function like a normal person around the Alpha while still retaining some of his wolf side.  Misha had explained that the bracelet was a replication of the slave cuffs used many centuries ago to fully suppress the natural abilities of a werewolf when worn together, and, in essence, render them human.  Misha figured that one would take enough of the edge off to keep him from disgracing himself and sexually assaulting the Alpha in his own office, or worse, in public.   
  
Or attempting to, at least.  The Alpha is the Alpha for a reason, after all, and it is not because he’s weak.  Strength is one of the biggest factors in a Pack Alpha, Jared knows from the many times his brother, the heir apparent of his home Pack, threw him around the backyard on their family’s estate.   
  
Jared breathes out deep and shakes off the memories as he makes his way through the office building.  It’s just like every other office building in downtown--tall, mostly glass, and crammed with people.  It’s kind of a nightmare for Jared, especially since at least half of the occupants of the building are entirely human, something his father kept out of the Pack.  He’d never really had any interaction with humans until he went to college and even then it was limited, and the whole experience of being in a fully integrated Pack has been disconcerting.  At first, the smell alone almost had him running back home, but he’s mostly adjusted to it now.  Mostly.  
  
If the lobby is a confusing jumble of people and smells trying to mow him over to continue on their way, then the elevators are like Chinese algebra.  He can’t seem to figure out which one goes to what floor and then there are ones that  _only_  go to even floors and ones that  _only_  service the top half and he’s about to give up and call Jensen’s office when the doors to the elevator in front of him open and a small, almost mousy lady smiles at him.  
  
“Jared Padalecki?” she asks, giving him a quick sniff, an action that clearly marks her as a  _werewolf_ , thank fuck.  And obviously one who knows how to scent Pack Blood.  
  
“Amy?” Jared ventures a guess, hoping like hell that this is Jensen’s assistant.  
  
“That’s me,” she gives him another smile, this one more reassuring, as she waves him onto the elevator.  She hits the button for Jensen’s floor before turning back to him.  “The Alpha realized that he hadn’t told you how to navigate the elevators, so we figured I’d come get you if you were still down there,” she explains.  
  
“Thanks,” Jared says.  “I was just thinking about giving up, too.”  
  
“Well, I’m glad I could help,” she responds as the elevator stops with a ding on their floor.  “Just come with me and I’ll let the Alpha know you’re here.”  
  
He follows her off of the elevator and through a set of glass doors into the waiting area of a very nicely decorated suite.  He’s enthralled by all of the rich textures, the golden hue of the walls and the deep burgundy of the carpet, the warm ambience making him feel at ease and comfortable.  He takes a seat on a plush sofa as Amy disappears behind a set of mahogany colored doors and he plays with the cuff on his wrist again.  The skin beneath it is a little pink with irritation, but it’s a small sacrifice he’s willing to make in order to keep himself… well,  _himself_.  Mating fevers are certainly no joke.  
  
“You can go in now,” Amy announces, startling him from his thoughts as she holds the door open for Jared.  
  
“Great,” Jared smiles at her as he moves to the door.  “And thanks again for earlier.”  
  
“It was my pleasure, Mr. Padalecki,” she replies, giving him an answering smile as she departs, leaving him alone with the Alpha.  
  
Jared shuts the door and he can feel the Alpha’s presence at his back, can feel that gaze on him, assessing him, studying him as he holds the door handle and takes in a slow and steady breath.  Which is a mistake because the Alpha’s scent hits him just as hard as it did in the Council building.  The rich smell wraps itself around Jared and makes his dick hard in his pants and his blood run hot, even with the silver on his wrist acting to keep him evened out.   
  
But he’s come this far.  He has to be brave, has to prove that he can do this, that he can be in the same room as the Alpha without turning into a cock-hungry bitch, and with that in mind, he lets go of the door and turns around.  Jared’s first instinct upon facing the Alpha is that the cuff definitely isn’t working.  But his second thought is that the Alpha is really just  _that_ attractive.  And he is.  He’s fucking gorgeous.  Still.  Damn, he’s screwed.  
  
“A-alpha,” Jared stutters out, trying to pull his eyes off of the Alpha and put them on the floor where he should.  But he’s stuck again, mesmerized by the liquid jade looking back at him with open curiosity.  
  
“I’m glad you finally made it,” the Alpha smiles at him.  
  
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Jared apologizes.  “The elevators… they’re kind of…”  
  
“Don’t worry about it,” the Alpha says.  “It takes everyone a while to get the hang of them,” he assures Jared.  “So, I’ve got a couple of places in mind for lunch, which is on me, in case you were wondering,” the Alpha says, pulling his jacket on, his shirt pulling tight over the muscles in his chest, making Jared stare and struggle to bite back a whine.  This is  _so_  not the time or place to let this… beta thing overtake him.   
  
“We can split,” Jared protests.  “I’m not poor or anything.”  
  
“Nonsense,” the Alpha waves him off.  “I invited you, so this is my treat.  You can pick it up next time.  Sound good?”  
  
“Uh,” Jared stalls.  _Next time_.  He almost laughs at that.  He’s sure there won’t be a next time if he can’t keep himself under control.  In public.  In front of other wolves and humans.  He’s so fucked it’s not even funny.  “Sure.  Sounds like a plan,” he says instead, giving the Alpha a hesitant smile as they exit his office.  
  
The Alpha gives some instructions to his assistant and then herds Jared into the elevator, through the lobby, and out onto the street.  It’s not as crowded as when Jared arrived, but then again people, ordinary humans even, seem to know who Jared’s companion is and move out of his way, giving the two of them wide berth and an unobstructed path.  It’s actually kind of nice, Jared has to admit, and he wonders if the Alpha experiences this kind of treatment and notice everywhere he goes, or if it’s isolated to just where he frequents.  
  
“So, how’s Italian sound?” the Alpha asks.  
  
“I could go for that, Alpha” Jared replies.  The idea of pasta is definitely a good one in his book.   
  
“Great,” the Alpha grins and begins to walk, leading Jared through the downtown jungle.  “And you can call me Jensen,” he says.  “I think that we can speak as equals, both of us coming from Pack Blood and all, don’t you think?”  
  
“If that’s what you want,” Jared offers in appeasement, punching the crosswalk button.  
  
“I want us to be friends, Jared,” Jensen says seriously as they cross an intersection.  “I already have a whole territory calling me  _Alpha_  and tip-toeing around me.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jared says almost automatically.   
  
“Don’t be,” Jensen flashes him a warm look that heats Jared up a little more.  He’s so overheated that the cool nip of the breeze doesn’t even register anymore.  “Just be yourself.”  
  
“I think I can do that,” Jared smiles back.  
  
They walk in companionable silence for a few minutes before Jensen turns his attention back on Jared.  
  
“You’re a strange thing, Jared Padalecki,” Jensen says, the low tones of his voice vibrating through Jared just as effectively as his scent, even in the crisp afternoon air.   
  
“I’m not sure I understand,” Jared says.  
  
“I’m not sure I do either,” Jensen offers him a warm smile.   
  
Jensen leads them to a little Italian bistro that Jared’s only ever read about in the various Dallas-centric magazines, highlighting various eateries and small business as the Best In Dallas, or whatever.  Jared is highly impressed, though it’s not a particular high bar to clear for him where food is concerned.  As long as it’s edible, it’s good enough for him.  Jensen, on the other hand, seems to have a more refined palate.   
  
They’re seated promptly by a beta who averts her gaze from Jensen and stares at Jared like he’s an alien from outer space.  Jared knows the feeling and doesn’t blame her one bit.  He’d stare at him too in curiosity of how a wolf like Jared came to be in the presence of a wolf like Jensen.  Their drinks come swiftly, as does their food, and it looks and smells so good that Jared can’t stop himself from diving in immediately, praising the chef for his fine skills while Jensen watches him with an amused spark to his eyes.   
  
“I’m sorry,” Jared blushes, pulling back his enthusiasm.  
  
“Don’t be,” Jensen smiles at him, digging into his own dish.  “It’s nice to be with someone so candid.  Usually everyone is on their best behavior and it makes me feel like I have to be too.  It’s exhausting.”  
  
“I feel that,” Jared commiserates.  “So, what is it you do, exactly?” he decides to ask after a beat or two of silence, twirling his pasta on his fork, finally plucking up the courage to start a conversation with the Alpha, get to know him a little better.  “For work,” he clarifies.  
  
Jensen finishes chewing a piece of breadstick and takes a drink of water before answering.  
  
“I invest,” he responds.  
  
“In what?” Jared follows up, shoving his pasta into his mouth before he can stick his foot in it.  
  
“Mostly local businesses,” Jensen replies easily.  “I like to help people realize their dreams.”  
  
“You sound like the tagline for a commercial or the motto of a business,” Jared says with a lopsided smile.  “Which I guess would make sense if your business was investing.”  
  
“Well, you’re not wrong,” Jensen smiles back.  “But it’s more of wanting to support my Pack.  Everyone believes that a happy Alpha makes a happy Pack, but I’ve found that helping my Pack, my community, making sure everyone has an opportunity here and is happy, that’s what makes me happy.”  
  
“And filthy rich,” Jared’s mouth says without his permission, making him wish the ground would open up and swallow him.  
  
“And that,” Jensen laughs, his smile reaching his eyes, and Jared feels the tension ease from his chest.  
  
“At least you’re doing something with it and not just amassing wealth for kicks and giggles,” Jared says.  
  
“I doubt I would find myself and my purpose fulfilled if that were the case,” Jensen nods in agreement.  “I’ve got all I need to live comfortably, so why not share the rest with the people who need and deserve it most?”  
  
Jared can’t help but stare at Jensen this time.  He’s certain the awe he feels at this wolf, this incredible example of what an alpha could be, is written all over his face.  If only his father had been cut from the same cloth as Jensen.  His life could have been so much different.  
  
“What?” Jensen asks after a bit.  “Do I have something on my face?  Because it wouldn’t be the first time.  My sister--who is evil, by the way--loves to let me look like a total idiot.  I’m pretty sure she gets off on it.  I can see her writing about it in her diary.  _Dear Journal, today I let my perfect, wonderful brother walk around with salad stuck to his teeth because I’m mean and enjoy him embarrassing himself in public.  The End._ ”  
  
Jared laughs, because Jensen’s parody of his sister is hilarious with his falsetto voice and the prim waving of his hand.   
  
“It’s- it’s not that,” Jared says between laughs, trying to calm down enough to speak.  “I just, I’ve never met a wolf like you.”  
  
“Thank you?” Jensen says, voice raising in pitch at the end like he’s not quite sure if it’s a good thing or not.  
  
“It’s a compliment, I swear,” Jared assures him.  “It’s refreshing to meet someone that is, well, like you.”  
  
“And what am I like?” Jensen asks, regarding Jared calmly, giving him all of his focus.  
  
“If I had to say… poised, refined, thoughtful, kind.  But you have an edge, maybe one you want people to see, maybe one you don’t even know about, but everyone can tell that you choose to be all of those things, and that you hold the beast at bay because the you that you’ve shown me, that you’ve shown your Pack, that’s who you want to be,” Jared says and hopes he hasn’t crossed any boundaries.  
  
Jensen seems to consider him for a moment before the corners of his mouth turn up.  
  
“I like that,” he says.  
  
“Am I right?” Jared asks.  
  
“If that’s the perception, does it matter?” Jensen asks.   
  
“I suppose not,” Jared shrugs.  “Your actions speak for themselves.”  
  
Jensen nods and hums in agreement.  
  
“So what do you do all day in that big office?” Jared asks before shoveling in more pasta.  
  
“I look at business proposals, portfolios, sometimes I interview people,” Jensen replies.  “I can’t say I don’t have that office for purely superficial reasons.  I know full well that I’m flexing my financial muscle, but it’s nice to not have to work from home or from my car all the time.  Plus, it looks great and leaves a good impression on future clients.  Lets them know I’m serious.”  
  
“So, business degree, then?” Jared asks as Jensen nods along.  
  
“MBA,” he answers.  
  
“Figures,” Jared snorts and Jensen smiles at him.  “Private school?”  
  
“Public, actually,” is Jensen’s response, a smirk making its way to his full lips.  
  
“Seriously?” Jared asks.  
  
“Texas Tech all the way,” Jensen full-on grins.  
  
“For both undergrad and grad?” Jared questions.  
  
“Yep,” the Alpha confirms.  “The Alpha out in Lubbock is a good friend of the family, so it made sense to hang out there.  Plus Tech’s a good school.  How about you?”  
  
“UT for me,” Jared answers.  
  
“What’d you study?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Engineering,” Jared tells him and then fidgets a bit.  “But I didn’t get the chance to finish.”  
  
“So what do you do now?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Anything where they’ll hire me, to be honest.  Right now it’s data entry, but I’ve done lots of things,” Jared says.  He knows how pathetic he is.  “It’s a rough market out there for the  _some college_  crowd.”  
  
He doesn’t want to say that it’s also a rough market for the  _no proof of identification_  and the  _pay me under the table_  crowd either, but that was his life.  
  
“Well, Dallas is a good place to start.  It’s been my personal mission to make sure that opportunities are available to any who seek them,” Jensen says, moving closer to Jared from across the table, leveling that bright green gaze at him and pinning him with its intensity.  “I sincerely hope you find what you’re looking for here in Dallas, in any capacity.  I mean it.”  
  
Jared can tell he does, can feel it pulsing through his veins.   
  
“Thank you,” Jared says, barely above a whisper.   
  
Jensen is without a doubt, the most unconventional, wildly different alpha Jared’s ever met.  
  
And Jared is so fucked.

* * *

Things begin to change for Jared, but it’s not noticeable at first.  Things go on as usual and Jensen calls Jared up sometimes for lunch and sometimes to meet up after work for drinks and wings or whatever catches their attention.  It’s beginning to become a regular thing between them and it’s almost startling when Jared realizes he spends more time hanging out with Jensen than he does at his own apartment.   
  
And that’s when he starts to notice other things.  Like how other wolves in the Pack start to look at him.  He’s almost tempted to say they’re wary of him, like they can sense Jensen’s favor and know he has it and decide to steer clear of him.  It’s a little weird, he thinks.  It’s not like he and the Alpha are dating or anything.   
  
Not that he’d be against dating the Alpha.  But he’s pretty sure… well, almost pretty sure that Jensen doesn’t see him that way.  And they’re together so often he’s sure he’d have noticed another wolf in Jensen’s life, if there was one, and it is a well known fact in the Pack that Jensen is as of yet an unmated Pack Alpha, the only one in the state to be exact.  But then again, Jensen spends so much time with him, Jared would be hard pressed to think of when Jensen would have even had the opportunity to court another wolf.   
  
_If_  he’s even interested in courting.  _If_  he’s not courting Jared.  Which, given the evidence... Jared should  _not_  speculate.  That’s definitely a bad idea.  But surely if that’s what Jensen wanted, he’d have made his intentions known by now.  Maybe.  Or maybe not.  It’s not like Jared’s been clean with Jensen on his beta status, and maybe Jensen just thinks they’re two buddies hanging out, grabbing a beer and watching the game.  
  
Like now, at Buffalo Wild Wings, with a basket of wings and a couple of Shinerbocks between them.  Jared knows Jensen’s made it a habit to scent him--though not overtly, because that’s just rude--every time they meet, like something might change.  Like Jensen’s still trying to puzzle him out.  So maybe he’s looking for something more, something in Jared’s scent that will give him away as a beta and clear the path between them.  Or maybe Jared’s just giving out some weird vibes and Jensen’s trying to decipher them without seeming rude and asking.  
  
And if Jared could just relax, if he could just man up and tell Jensen, then maybe they’d be able to end this weird little dance and… Jared shakes his head, trying to push thoughts of him and Jensen out.  There’s no use anyway.  He’s Pack Blood.  There’s no way Jensen would be interested in taking on that type of baggage.  And that’s  _if_  Jensen’s even interested in males or him in particular.  As of yet, he’s not given anything away.  Except that he likes hanging out with Jared.  And smelling him, of course.   
  
And he’s still yet to let Jared pay for any meal or drink when they’ve gone out.  Jared doesn’t dare to let himself hope too hard.   
  
But Jensen’s been a bit fidgety this evening, attention half on the game and half somewhere else.  He’s started and stopped several times and Jared’s almost worked up the nerve to ask him what’s on his mind, just to open communication between them, but decided to let Jensen be.  The Alpha isn’t usually so quiet, but he’s sure to say what he’s thinking when he’s good and ready.  
  
They’re about halfway through the third quarter of a Dallas-Detroit slaughter on the gridiron when Jensen finally speaks.  
  
“So, it’s no big deal or anything, but my family has these get-togethers every full moon,” Jensen says casually, and Jared can see how much effort it takes.  “And I was… well, I kind of… my Mom… uh, would you like to come?”  
  
Full moon?  That’s…  
  
“Tomorrow?” Jared asks, eyeing Jensen as he tries to absorb the Alpha’s uncharacteristically stumbling invitation.  Which is freaking adorable.  
  
“No pressure,” Jensen says.  “I’m not asking as Alpha, just so you know.  And if you don’t want to go, that’ll be okay too.”  
  
“No, I do,” Jared replies, blinking in confusion as he tries to decipher what’s really going on.  Jensen perplexes him so much.  “I’d be happy to go.”  
  
“Great,” Jensen grins brightly, looking relieved, and Jared feels his heart flutter in his chest at the sight.  “My Mom’s going to love you.”  
  
He turns back to the game then and leaves Jared with so many more questions to add to the ones he already has.  And there it is again, that weird state of flux they seem to live in.  He kind of wants to ask Jensen what’s really going on.  He’s grown tired of constantly biting his tongue to keep from blurting out how frustrating he finds things, wanting but not wanting all at the same time to ask what Jensen wants from him.  
  
And Jensen is so hard to read it’s not even funny.  He’ll be joking around with Jared one minute and then the next his eyes will go dark and thoughtful, like he’s considering Jared, measuring him in some way that Jared can’t quite put a finger on.  Then there’s how he’s always inviting him out to lunch and to go out after work, and now he’s asking Jared over to a family gathering.  To his childhood home where he’s going to expose him to his parents.  
  
But Jared doesn’t dare to let himself hope that Jensen’s working them toward a mating.  There’s no way he’s that lucky.  That’s just not how his life works.  
  
Jared doesn’t know what he’s going to do about this whole Jensen situation, or even what to think about it.  Hanging out is one thing, but meeting the parents?  He’s not so sure what’s going on between them anymore.   
  
He tosses his keys onto the sideboard as he locks up and moves through his apartment, shedding his clothes as he makes his way to the bathroom.  A shower is in order, and he thinks that even if it doesn’t do anything to help out with what’s going on, it’ll at least feel good.  And he’ll smell better for Jensen’s parents tomorrow.  
  
Fuck.  Jensen’s parents.  That’s an insane thought. 

 

* * *

  
Jared feels like the last few weeks with the Alpha have been done completely by the seat of his pants.  He’s sure that any day now the whole house of cards will come crashing down.  He’s not sure how or why or what or anything, but if it’s one thing he knows, it’s that nothing in his life has ever been this easy, so something must be wrong.  Hopefully not, because he at least wants to keep Jensen around as a friend.  
  
He’s really cool and smart and funny, and he likes a lot of the same things Jared likes.  It’d be stupid to not be friends with him.  Even if Jared wants to strip him naked and ride his cock until he ties Jared good and hard and deep.  Which is definitely not an appropriate thought.  He’s got to work on his self control, because thinking about humping the stuffing out of the Alpha in front of his parents is surely something that not even Pack Blood can get away with.  
  
As he steps into the spray it’s inevitable that his mind wanders back to Jensen, no matter what he does, like it’s on an infinite loop of Jensen, Jensen, Jensen.  The warm water rushes over him, touching him, caressing him in ways that he wishes Jensen would.  He can imagine Jensen’s hands running over his skin, his nose ruffling through his hair, his tongue tasting, telling Jensen that Jared is ready for him, is his for the taking.   
  
Jared runs a hand down his stomach, wrapping it around his cock as it fills to thoughts of the Alpha.  And god, Jared bites his lip as he gives himself a stroke, squeezing as he moves along his shaft.  He imagines Jensen holding him down, pushing him to his hands and knees with his strong hold.  Jensen would open him up nice and slow, teasing him, dragging it out and making him beg the Alpha for his cock.  
  
And then Jensen would give it to him.  He’d slide in deep and then he’d take Jared, claim him, fuck,  _breed_ him.  As Jared jerks himself faster, he imagines Jensen pounding into him, driving them both closer to completion.  And then Jensen would knot him.  Jared can only go off of what other wolves have told him about it, never having experienced it for himself.  He thinks about the glazed over faces of betas and omegas when they reminisce and knows that getting knotted by Jensen would change his world.   
  
He strokes himself faster and harder, pulling out every trick he knows to get himself off, but no matter what he tries, he seems to be stuck, just inches from the finish line.  He’s desperate for it, desperate for something, and he feels his hole clench as there’s an emptiness deep inside that he’s never felt before.  He wants to fill it, has to, and he knows without trying that there’s nothing he possesses that will be enough to satisfy the need he has.  
  
He’s in a mating fever and he knows it.  If he’d been blind to it before, his confirmation is in his hands, refusing to cooperate with him.  
  
“Shit,” Jared mutters to himself as he slumps against the cool tile of the shower, running a hand through sweaty hair as he tries to catch his breath.   
  
He looks back down at his hard dick, straining and reddened.  He wants to come so badly.  Dangling just on the edge is strangling him slowly.  He tries to will his erection into submission, but it’s no use.  He knows he’s not going to come.  There will be no relief for him tonight, or any night for that matter, until he’s been mated or this fever passes.  Whichever comes first.  
He heaves a tired and resigned sigh and turns the hot water to cold as he calls it a night. 

 

  
* * *

  
“You okay?” Jensen asks as they walk up the steps to the Ackles family homestead the next day.  
  
It’s a huge, beautiful house and fits perfectly in the neighborhood, if it could even be called that with the nearest neighbor being several acres away.  It’s gated and nestled in between several large oak trees that shade the regal, sprawling house, situated on a large stretch of land with full amenities and enough room for several wolves to run on a full moon.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared responds to Jensen’s question.  “Why?”  
  
“You just look a little nervous,” Jensen comments.  
  
“Well, I’m with the Dallas Alpha, going to dinner at his childhood home where I will meet his parents, one of which is the former Dallas Alpha,” Jared says.  He doesn’t mention the part where he’s pretty sure everyone but Jensen can tell that Jared’s hot for him, including people he hasn’t met.  Like the former Alpha and Beta of Dallas.  
  
“I see your point,” Jensen smiles.  “Relax.  They’re just regular people.  And you have nothing to worry about.  I’m the hardest person to please in the family and you’ve already won me over.”  
  
And there he goes again, saying something that could mean nothing more than just that.  But it could also be so much more.  With Jensen, there’s just no knowing for sure, and Jared doesn’t dare scent him to see if he can find out more even though he’s sure Jensen’s done it to him on the sly a time or two or ten.  The Alpha in his own territory scenting another wolf is something completely different than that wolf scenting the Alpha without his express permission.  
  
“Take a deep breath and you’ll be fine,” Jensen says encouragingly, pulling Jared from his thoughts as he swings the door open.  “Come on,” he tilts his head, placing a hand on the small of  
  
Jared’s back as he guides him inside with the electrifying touch.  It’s a touch of possession, Jared thinks as Jensen takes it away the moment they’re inside.  
  
He doesn’t get the chance to dwell on it, though, because as soon as the door shuts, a woman appears.  It’s not her scent so much as her wide green eyes that give her away as Jensen’s mother, and she smiles brightly as she makes her approach.  
  
“You must be Jared,” she says, pulling him into a hug.  “It’s so good to finally meet you.”  
  
“You too, ma’am,” he says, smiling back as they part.  
  
“None of that,” she laughs.  “Call me Donna, I insist,” she instructs and then turns to Jensen.  “Your sister can’t make it,” she says.  “Something about a server crash.  I’m not too sure.”  
  
“It happens,” Jensen nods in agreement and doesn’t seem too put out or surprised by her announcement.   
  
“She sends her love, though, and promised me she’d be here next time,” Donna says.  “Now, Alan’s got the steaks on the grill and I’ll be needing some assistance in the kitchen, so could you go see if your father needs some help while I steal Jared away for a little while?” she aims at Jensen.  
  
“Sure, Mom,” Jensen answers at the same time that Jared voices his agreement.  
  
Jensen gives him a smile and they part ways, Jensen heading out to the back yard to assist his father while Donna hustles Jared into the kitchen and sets him to chopping lettuce for the salad.  
  
“So, Jensen tells us you’re from San Antonio,” Donna begins conversationally as she makes her way around the kitchen.  
  
“Yes,” Jared confirms after watching her putter around for a moment.  “I am.”  
  
“Pack Blood?”  
  
“Second son of the Alpha,” he replies, chopping the lettuce before him in wide chunks.  There’s a good chance they already know who he is anyhow.  
  
“Of course you’re Sherri’s son,” Donna smiles kindly.  “You look so much like your mother.”  
  
“You know her?” Jared asks, dropping his chopping knife and turning to Donna.  
  
“She and I were close friends before her mating,” she says, eyes going soft and nostalgic. “How is she?”  
  
“Good, the last time I heard,” Jared says, shifting a little.  “I, uh, haven’t been home in a while.”  
  
“It’s okay, Jared,” Donna says, tapping her nose.  “I’m pretty sure I know why.  Gerald was always a bit of a purist.”  
  
Jared’s eyes go wide and he sputters a bit.  She knows what he is.  And she knows the kind of wolf his father is too, an ultra conservative with hard, archaic views and a staunch traditionalist standpoint.  But if she could pick him out, what about Jensen?  
  
“Is it that obvious?” he gasps.  “Do you think he…” he glances out to where Jensen is.  
  
“Maybe, maybe not,” she shakes her head.  “Alphas don’t have as refined a sense of smell, and your scent is very… unique.  He might be able to tell that you’re receptive to him, which you are— _very_ —but he’d have an easier time distinguishing you from omegas than other alphas.”  
  
And that  _does_  make sense.  He knows that with his status as Pack Blood and being a beta male, he carries an ambiguity in his scent that not every alpha, or beta for that matter, can pick up on.  Alpha males don’t always bother with sniffing out beta males, as the ones that are receptive to alpha males tend to be a minority of the beta community anyway.  A lot of them only go as far as to register a wolf as  _not omega/beta in heat_  and call it a day.  He’s almost certain Jensen falls under this category, but his beta mother certainly doesn’t.  
  
“Please don’t tell him,” Jared begs.  “I’m not ready for him to know.  I just… it was hard enough growing up, and I really like the way he treats me, like I’m his equal.  I don’t want that to change.”  
  
“No, sweetie,” Donna shakes her head and pulls him close, her hands warm and comforting where they hold him.  “I promise I won’t say anything, but trust him.  He’s not like that at all.  We made sure we raised him right, different, more socially aware.  And he already likes you as you are.  Being a beta won’t change that.  At least not in a negative way.”  
  
“What?” Jared asks in surprise as they pull apart.  
  
“He scents you when you’re not looking, like he’s trying to figure something out, like Alan scented me before we were mated,” Donna explains.  “And the look he gets when he talks about you is quite telling.  I’m not saying he’s going to offer for you, but he’s considering something,” she explains.  “And he must think highly of you.  He’s  _never_ brought someone home before.  Just think about that.”  
  
And Jared does.  Again, he finds himself in this weird dating/not dating limbo with Jensen, Donna firmly in the  _dating_ corner with Misha and his smug ass, and Jared is so confused.  
  
He glances outside and catches Jensen staring at him through the glass as his father grills away and chats at him.  Jared knows Jensen isn’t paying attention, instead completely focused on Jared with that intense gaze, like he’s picking Jared apart with his eyes.  Alan taps Jensen’s shoulder with the tongs and the spell is broken, Jensen helping at the grill and Jared going back to the cutting board and enduring Donna’s knowing smiles.

 

  
* * *

  
“Are you two going to stay and shift here?” Donna asks as she cleans up their plates.  
  
“Shift?” Jared asks.  
  
“For the full moon,” Donna smiles.  
  
“Oh, right,” Jared responds.  “I had kind of forgotten about all that,” he admits, berating himself mentally for not remembering the reason for this entire get together.  And how he’d not even noticed the pull of the moon is beyond him.  Maybe the need, the itching, clawing desire to shift has taken a back burner to another, more potent need for the alpha right next to him.  
  
“It’s nothing to worry about, sweetie,” Donna says kindly with a twinkle in her eye.  “I hardly feel its pull either.  But Jensen here always gets fidgety and anxious when it’s a full moon.”  
  
“ _Mom_ ,” Jensen says in protest, half-whining.  It’s amusing to see such an in control Alpha complain like a teenager to his mother.  
  
“What?  It’s the truth, Jensen,” Donna states.  “It gets you all worked up.  But I was just thinking about how nice it would be for us all to relax and shift together tonight.”  
  
“I suppose,” Jensen eyes his mother and then turns to Jared.  “What do you think?”  
  
“Jared’s staying.  I insist,” Donna says before Jared has the chance to back out.   
  
“I guess that’s it then,” Jared gives Jensen a half shrug as he notices Donna watching them with interest.      
  
Donna herds them around, barking orders as they all pitch in to help clean up, and then everything is done, put away, and sparkly clean.  Jared enjoys himself, helping Donna out and caring for Jensen like a beta would, like the beta in him wants to, without directly doing so.  But that doesn’t mean Jensen hasn’t taken some sort of notice in Jared, even with his eyes tracking Jared’s every move as they work together.  And where it would have been odd several weeks ago, Jared has become accustomed to having Jensen’s attention in some way or another.  He would even go so far as to say he likes it.  
  
It’s almost time when they’re finally finished.  The moon is just coming over the tree line and Jared can feel it spreading across his skin.  His sense of smell is sharper, his eyes can see better, and he wants to go, to run, to be free in a way that he can’t in his human form.  He can tell without even looking that Jensen feels the same.   
  
They’re standing next to each other behind the house, both looking out across the property.  Jared turns his head to look at Jensen, bathed in moonlight, and thinks, not for the first time, that he’s beautiful.  He seems peaceful, uninhibited, and he has a soft glow about him that Jared knows has to be a side effect of his being a beta in the presence of a truly magnificent alpha.   
  
“Ready?” Jensen asks, corner of his mouth tipping up in a  _caught you_  grin.   
  
“Very,” Jared answers.  
  
“Then let’s go,” Jensen says.  
  
In less than a minute, Jared’s naked and shifting, the transition taking mere seconds as he falls to all four paws, rubbing them in the cool grass as he waits for Jensen.  He trots around in circles, nose to the turf, smelling the crisp, clean scent of the freshly cut lawn.  He catches another scent on the breeze then and halts, whipping his head to the back of the house where a large, beautiful wolf with a tawny coat stands.   
  
It’s Jensen, there’s no doubt.  
  
Jared yips happily and lopes over to the Alpha.  Jensen’s green eyes follow him, an open-mouthed smile greeting him upon his arrival.  He stops in front of Jensen and yips again, dropping his front in a play bow, his bushy tail wagging happy and high above him.   
  
Jensen takes the invitation, giving a play-growl before butting his face into Jared’s and shoulder checking him, knocking him off balance.  Jared play-growls back as he tips over, flailing his legs as he rolls onto his back.  Jensen follows him, standing over him and rubbing his cold, wet nose through the hair on Jared’s neck and into his ears as they both grunt and grumble at each other.   
Jared manages to weasel out from under Jensen and drops into another play bow before tearing off around the yard.  He feels great, running with the wind in his fur, and he wants Jensen to join him.  He taunts Jensen as he makes a lap, play-growling at him and yipping as he nips at Jensen’s tail, finally goading the Alpha into chasing him around, racing him back to the house and around again.  It’s the most fun he’s had in years.  
  
He hears a chuckle from the back porch and slows to a walk near the trees only to be slammed to the ground by Jensen again.  He rolls onto his back and puts his front paws in Jensen’s chest, holding him off as they both pant for air.  
  
“Kids,” he hears Donna say to her mate, her tone fond and amused.  
  
“It’s good for them,” Alan says, also amused.  
  
Jared’s jerked from his eavesdropping on Jensen’s parents by a warm, wet tongue over his muzzle.  He stares up at Jensen, making as shocked a face as he can, but is met with a look that clearly would be Jensen laughing his ass off were they still human.   
  
A rustle in the trees startles them both into utter silence and stillness a moment later.  Jared pricks his ears to listen closely and he can barely hear it, but he knows it’s a deer.  He glances up at Jensen, but he knows that Jensen’s already in the hunt.  He’s hyper-focused, keen eyes trained on any change in the scenery, his sharp nose picking out the deer’s particular scent, and his ears giving him a location.   
  
Jensen moves off of him very slowly, careful to not alert the deer with any sudden movements, and lets Jared up.  They exchange a look that conveys everything Jared needs to know.  They’ll be hunting this deer, and steak dinner or not, they’ll have bellies full of deer meat come morning. 

* * *

Jared feels warm and relaxed as he wakes slowly.  He stretches, feeling aching and sore muscles protest and then give.  And that’s when he realizes that there’s something digging into his back.   
  
He opens his eyes to stare straight up into the large, tangled mess of branches on one of the old pecan trees on Jensen’s parents’ property.  Holy mess, they slept outside last night.   
  
Jared glances around to find Jensen still out cold, his face slack and beautiful in sleep.  The sunlight makes the Alpha’s hair shine like spun gold and his freckles stand out against his light skin.  Jared wants to reach out and touch him, to see if he’s as soft as he seems, but he doesn’t dare.   
  
Instead, he lets his gaze drift over Jensen’s naked form, the blood streaks on his chin and neck, and a few spatters of red across his chest from their midnight snack of deer.  But beneath the remainder of their impromptu meal is hard, lean muscles that Jared commits to memory as fast as he can, because if this is the only chance he gets to see Jensen in all of his glory, then he’s not going to let it pass him by.  
  
Green eyes crack open a few moments later and Jared blushes and tries to meet them.  It’s a little awkward, both of them being stark naked in the backyard of Jensen’s childhood home, but Jared has to remind himself that they are both werewolves and modesty is not something any of them grew up knowing.   
  
“Morning,” Jensen says, voice rough and gravelly and oh so sexy.  
  
“Morning,” Jared returns as Jensen sits up and picks a few leaves from his hair.   
  
“So, I guess we slept out here then,” Jensen states the obvious.  “All I remember is wanting a nap, and now it’s day,” he says, squinting as he glances up through the tree.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared agrees as casually as he can.  “I think it’s still early, so we must have only shifted back a little while ago.”  
  
“We should probably head back to the house and shower or something,” Jensen suggests.  
  
“That sounds like a wonderful plan,” Jared practically moans.  He’d like nothing more than a shower at this point.  He feels sweaty and gritty and so, so dirty.   
  
Jared shifts back into his wolf, shaking the dirt and dead leaves from his coat.  It feels good to shake off the funk of waking up too early  _and_ outdoors.  He stretches a bit next, dropping his front and leaning back before shifting forward and arching his back.  When he’s done, he looks over to find Jensen watching him with amusement written all over his face.  
  
Jared cocks his head, wondering what the hold up is, and Jensen smiles and shakes his head before dropping down to all fours in a smooth, quick shift.  The Alpha takes a few steps forward and then tilts his head back at Jared as if to say  _come on_ , and Jared follows him through the small wooded area back to the house.   
  
It’s a short trek, all in all, and Jared’s very pleased to see that not only are their clothes still intact, but it appears that Donna has folded them and set them on the deck table for when they came back.  
  
Jensen shifts back and pulls on his boxers as Jared waits with his head turned.  He’s trying hard not to look at the Alpha as well, but he’s weak and can’t help himself.   
  
“You  _can_  shift too, you know,” Jensen says.  “I’ve already seen you, and you’ve already seen me.  It’s okay.”  
  
No, it’s not okay, he thinks.  He looked his fill without permission and Jensen knows it.  Jared whines and ducks his head a little, pulling his ears to the side and looking up at Jensen.   
  
“There’s nothing to feel guilty about,” Jensen sighs as he kneels in front of Jared and looks him in the eye.  “And there’s nothing to be ashamed of either.”  
  
Jared meets his gaze hesitantly and feels himself slip out of his wolf form without even thinking about it, meeting the unspoken will of the Alpha.   
  
“Much better,” Jensen smiles and places a warm hand on Jared’s shoulder.  “Come on.  I’ll show you to my old room.  It’s got the best shower in the house.”  
  
Jensen’s not wrong.  The shower is amazing.  It’s huge—big enough for Jared and then some—and the water pressure is the best he’s experienced in ages.  Definitely better than his apartment.  And the water here doesn’t have that over-chlorinated smell that Dallas water usually has.  He actually feels cleaner than he has in years.   
  
There’s a fluffy white towel waiting for him when he steps out that he uses to dry off and then wrap around his hips.  Jensen seeing him naked is one thing, but Donna or Alan… well, it’s probably best that he just makes sure he’s decent.  He almost feels weird about putting on his clothes from the night before after getting so clean in the shower, like they might dirty him up again, but he puts them on anyway.  Jensen had offered to let him borrow something, but Jared declined.  He’d rather do his quasi walk of shame in his clothes from the night before than in pants that are too short and a shirt that’s too tight.   
  
He’s just pulling his boots back on when Jensen knocks lightly and pokes his head inside.  
  
“Breakfast is ready,” he announces gleefully.  “Mom makes the best bacon in the state, I swear.”  
  
Jared grins at the excitement in Jensen’s voice.  He doesn’t doubt for one second that Donna’s cooking leaves others in the dust.   Which is also something odd about the Dallas Alpha family.  Every other Pack Alpha he’s ever encountered, including his own father, had a full staff, including maids, a butler, a driver, and at least two cooks.  The Ackles seem to enjoy doing everything on their own.  Not that Jared’s complaining.  He’s been on his own for years now, learning to do everything himself.  It’s something he admires and respects in Jensen’s family, another thing that makes him unattainably perfect.  
  
The spread is varied and quite delicious.  Jared eats himself stupid and only stops when he thinks he might be sick.  It earns him a hearty slap on the back from Alan and a concerned look from Jensen, but Donna just smiles and tells him he’s welcome anytime he’s hungry, and even when he’s not.   
  
As they get ready to leave to head back into the heart of the city, Alan shakes his hand and Donna pulls him close, wrapping him up in a tight hug before saying, “It was wonderful meeting you.”  
  
She waits for him to return the sentiment before whispering, “Just promise me you’ll think about what I said.”  
  
“I promise,” Jared agrees, hugging her back.

 

  
* * *

  
Jared’s been thinking a lot about his standing with Jensen and what Donna told him over the last few days, so much so that when Misha brings it up over lunch, it startles him.  
  
“Has he made his move yet?” Misha asks just barely over the ambient noise of the cafe.  
  
“What?” Jared gapes at his friend, fork clanging as it hits his plate from being dropped in surprise.  He glances around, but they haven’t drawn anyone’s attention to their secluded corner.  
  
“Has the Alpha asked you to be Beta?” Misha clarifies.  
  
“Why on earth would he do that?” Jared shoots back.  
  
“Really, Jared.  You’re going to play ignorant  _now_?” Misha says, completely unamused.  
  
“I don’t think he thinks of me that way,” Jared says instead.  He’s not entirely convinced that he’s not right about that.  
  
“You really believe that?” Misha raises an eyebrow, probably smelling how conflicted Jared is about the whole thing and definitely not buying his deflection.  “You’ve been out how many times since you met?  And he invited you to meet his parents.  What part of that reeks of  _just friends_?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Jared shrugs.  “His mother…”  
  
“Don’t stop there,” Misha says after Jared fails to elaborate.  “ _His mother_ what?”  
  
“She said he scents me,” Jared says quietly.  “Like her mate scented her before they were together.”  
  
“Mothers tend to know their sons,” Misha points out.  “Why don’t you think he’s into you?  Or is it something else?  Is it the beta thing?”  
  
“Partially,” Jared admits.  “I definitely don’t want to end up like a lot of the betas in San Antonio.  My father made sure that betas weren’t equal to alphas and that they stayed home, owned, barefoot and pregnant and all that nonsense.”  
  
“Our Alpha isn’t like that,” Misha states.   
  
“I know,” Jared sighs.  “And his mother even said as much, it’s just… I don’t even know if he’s interested in me in that way.  And if he is, what if that’s what he wants?  I don’t think I could do the whole pregnant beta housewife thing.”  
  
“I highly doubt our Alpha wants that.  He spent a lot of time reforming Pack Law and making sure that alphas, betas, and omegas all had equal status in Dallas.  You know that.  Is it the idea of having children that you don’t like?” Misha asks.  “Do you not want pups?”  
  
“Mish, I don’t even know if I can carry,” Jared says.  “In this hypothetical, it’s not really a matter of whether or not I want them.  It’s whether or not I can have them.”  
  
“I disagree,” Misha says.  “Even if you can’t carry them, there are many pups that you can adopt.”  
  
“But it wouldn’t be Jensen’s blood, and that’s what I’d want if I ever had pups,” Jared says.  “And that’s still if he even wants me.”  
  
“He does,” Misha assures him.  “You’ll see.”  
  
“I suppose eventually one of us has to be right,” Jared says with a crooked, rueful smile.  
  
“On that, you’re not wrong,” Misha agrees, inclining his head toward Jared and tipping his glass before taking a lengthy swallow.  “But I’m not wrong either.”  
  
“Whatever, Mish,” Jared rolls his eyes.  “Are we going to finish lunch or what?”  
  
“Always with the food,” Misha says good-naturedly.  
  
“Always,” Jared grins back.

 

  
* * *

  
Jensen invites Jared out on Thursday afternoon.  Jared’s a little surprised as Jensen suggests going to Fort Worth to some werewolf hotspot together.  He mentions some friends and a band and that he’d like Jared to accompany him.  Jared thinks it sounds a little serious to him, like  _dating_ serious, but after meeting Jensen’s parents how serious can it be?  He’s got to stop reading into shit anyway, even if Donna thinks he should.  And Misha.  God.  
  
The bar is pretty packed when they get there, but it’s no surprise to Jared that Jensen’s got some kind of VIP privileges that not only get them inside, but score them their own private area with plush seats on a comfortable circular couch that Jared is pretty much in love with, and a prime view of the stage.  They’re served promptly by a nice beta and Jared starts to relax a little as he sips on his beer.  Even if they are just friends, the perks that come with a friendship with Jensen are amazing.   
  
He’s still not entirely over being in public with Jensen.  Even out of his territory Jensen’s still got power and influence.  The wolves of Fort Worth seem to give him just as much deference as his own Pack just a little drive back in Dallas.  It’s kind of weird, but very fascinating.  Misha would love it.  
  
They just have time to settle in and get comfortable before a dark haired wolf with bright blue eyes and a beta with soft blonde hair and a kind face approach their table.  Jared can tell without introductions that they are the Alpha and Beta of Fort Worth Pack.  He recognizes the sharp, commanding scent of a Pack Alpha, and even if he couldn’t smell his mark on the beta, Jared would be able to tell they’re together simply by the way they seem to fit, by the way they look as though there’s an invisible tether connecting them.  
  
Jared’s attention is shifted when Jensen smiles, wide and happy and genuine, and he gets up to greet the Alpha and Beta.  Jared scrambles to stand as well, berating himself silently for forgetting his manners.  Even the outcast beta son of an Alpha should be able to properly greet the Alpha of another Pack.  
  
“Thanks for coming,” the Fort Worth Alpha says with a small smile as he grips Jensen’s outstretched hand and brings him in for a quick hug.  Jared catalogues each exchange, noting that Jensen and the Fort Worth Alpha must be great friends to greet each other with such familiarity.   
  
“Thanks for inviting me,” Jensen replies as they part.   
  
Jared’s surprised again when Jensen greets the Fort Worth Beta in the same manner as he did the Alpha.  And what surprises him even more is the reaction, or to be more accurate, the non-reaction of the Fort Worth Alpha.  It’s quite clear to Jared that these two wolves are very,  _very_  close friends of Jensen’s, and it sends a nervous thrill through him that Jensen wanted him to come here to meet them tonight.  
  
“So is this who I think it is?” the blonde Beta asks, turning their attention toward Jared where he stands, awkwardly trying--and failing--to make himself blend in with the scenery.   
  
“This is Jared,” Jensen says, reaching for him.  He places a gentle hand on the middle of Jared’s back and guides him to his side.  “Jared, these are my oldest friends: Chris and Steve.”  
  
“I’m Steve,” the beta clarifies, holding out a hand.  Jared takes it.  Steve’s grip is warm and firm, reassuring, and Jared likes that.  “It’s very nice to finally meet you.  We’ve heard so much about you.”  
  
“We thought for a while that Jensen might have been making you up,” Chris, the alpha, announces with a teasing grin thrown at Jensen.  “Or that he was going to hog you all to himself forever.”  
  
“Chris,” Jensen grumbles.  
  
“Relax, Jenny,” Chris says.   
  
“We’re just pleased to finally have a face to put with the things he’s told us,” Steve explains.  
  
“All good things, I hope,” Jared ventures.  
  
“Why?  Is there something we should know?” Chris asks, voice going deep and making Jared a little nervous.   
  
For all he’s hung around Jensen, Jared’s never felt like he’s been in the presence of a powerful wolf.  That’s not to say that Jensen isn’t.  In fact, Jared would be willing to put good money down on Jensen being one of the more powerful wolves in the state, given his almost ancient bloodline and that he’s got a list of Pack Alphas in his pedigree longer than Jared is tall.  It’s just that Jensen doesn’t throw it around.  He doesn’t use it, preferring to get things done the way everyone else does.   
  
But Chris is another matter.  Jared suspects he’s a highly reactive wolf, and probably a little volatile.  Definitely the bar brawl type.  He’s pretty sure he should tread lightly with the Fort Worth Alpha, especially if that subtle glow to those blue eyes of his is anything to go off of.  And besides, Jensen hasn't put a claim on him.  Jared’s a wolf out of his territory and if Chris wanted to, he’d be well within his rights to rip him apart.  The only thing standing between them would be Jensen, and Jared doesn’t want to know if Jensen would claim him or stand aside if he was forced to show his hand.  
  
“ _Chris_ ,” the warning comes from Steve this time, those kind eyes of his giving his mate a stern look as he pets Jared’s hand reassuringly and Jensen’s fingers push harder into his back where his hand still rests.   
  
Chris and Steve hold their staring contest for what feels like forever, and finally Chris breaks, looking away and muttering something that sounds half like an apology and half like a promise to quit.   
  
“Sorry about him,” Steve says, letting Jared’s hand go.  “He can be a little moody sometimes.”  
  
“Ha,” Jensen barks out a short laugh that says he agrees.  
  
“You’re lucky I love you,” Chris says to Steve, but it’s completely without bite.   
  
“You’d better,” Steve agrees.  “I mean, I only bore you our two pups.”  
  
“I know,” Chris’s entire demeanor changes then, sharp edges going soft as he pulls his beta close and nuzzles into him.  “You’re my world.”  
  
Jared usually responds to these things with annoyance laced with disgust, but with Jensen still touching him, his hand like a brand on his back, Jared can’t help but feel a stab of want deep in his gut.  It’s more than obvious that what Chris and Steve have is very, very deep and that they’d do anything for each other.  And Jared wants that.  He wants a mate that would cross oceans for him, that would hold him late at night, that would tell him that he loves him and that he’s perfect just the way he is.   
  
It’s too much to ask for, he knows, but here’s to daring to dream.  And looking at Jensen he finds it.  He’s been reluctant to admit it for weeks now, but Jensen’s what he wants.  If Donna figured it out, Steve will too, and probably even Chris.  It’s not hard to miss once it’s there.  Jared’s a beta and Jensen’s an alpha, albeit he’s a Pack Alpha, but as his mother would say an alpha’s an alpha, no matter what the title.  And it’s rare, though not unheard of, for unmated alphas and betas of mate-able compatibility to be found in solely platonic company.  He hopes against hope that this is not the case, that Jensen maybe wants him a little bit too.  
  
“Let’s sit down and get another round,” Jensen suggests, sounding just as awkward as Jared feels, especially in the presence of such an intimate moment between the mated pair before them.   
  
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Chris gives another small smile and lets Steve slide into the large circular booth, moving toward the center as Chris gets in after him.  
  
“Come on,” Jensen nudges Jared a little when he doesn’t move.   
  
Jared takes the hint, glad for Jensen’s guidance as he was at a loss of whether to let the Alpha take the inside or not.  He should have known better, though.  The outside position is the protective one, and if it’s one thing an alpha is, it’s protective.  Jared scoots over close to Steve and at Chris’s suggestion, he and Jensen go to the bar for another round of drinks, leaving Jared and Steve alone.   
  
“So, you and Jensen,” Steve says with a sly look the moment the Alphas are out of earshot.  
  
“What?” Jared gasps, shock numbing his body.  “Me and—no, no.  You’ve got me wrong.  There is no  _me and Jensen_.”  
  
“Oh really?” Steve arches an eyebrow.  “Because that’s not what he thinks.”  
  
“What do you mean by that?” Jared asks cautiously as his heart does something funny in his chest.  Maybe this is what having a heart attack feels like.  “Has he--has he said something?”  
  
“It’s more of what he  _doesn’t_  say,” Steve replies, looking to where the two Alphas are leaning against the bar, laughing with the bartender as they make their order.  “When I met Chris, I lost control, couldn’t stop myself.  I wanted him, and there was no fighting it.  Doesn’t mean I didn’t, though.  And I tried everything I could… cold showers, silver,” he nods to Jared’s wrist, “telling myself that being just friends was good enough.”  
  
“Really?” Jared asks.  “You guys seem so close.”  
  
“Chris is a lot like Jensen,” Steve says fondly.  “He keeps his cards very close to the vest.  I had no idea that he wanted anything more from me until pinned me to a wall during one of those horrible mating feves and kissed me.  And then I kissed him back, and then he marked me and so on.  You know how it goes.”  
  
“And this is what makes you think Jensen wants me?” Jared says.  
  
“So you’re admitting you want there to be more?” Steve raises an eyebrow and Jared knows he’s caught for sure now, not that he’s been particularly great at hiding it anyway.  Steve could probably smell it all over him the second they met.  
  
“If I say I do, will you just tell me what the hell is going on?” Jared begs.  
  
“Relax, man.  I’m not that cruel,” Steve chuckles.  “I figured it out mostly from the way he looks at you, especially when he thinks no one’s watching.  It’s, I don’t know… sometimes it’s like you’re the only person he sees, and _yes_ , I picked that up within all of the five minutes we’ve known each other.  He’s not even trying to be subtle, man.  I don’t know how you can’t tell, except for the serious denial you seem to be in.  And then there’s the phone calls he’s been making to Chris.  Now, I know they’re best friends and all, but I can tell from the tone of Chris’s voice that he’s talking to Jensen about a mate, or a potential one.  Jensen has  _never_  shown interest in taking a mate.  Hasn’t since before he became Alpha.  But something changed around the time he met you, and he’s been blowing up Chris’s phone ever since.”  
  
“And you think it’s me?” Jared asks.  
  
“You don’t?” Steve counters.   
  
“I just… I’m not that lucky,” Jared shrugs.  
  
“You’d be surprised, man,” Steve says.  “Look, I know it’s scary, and I know it’s a big responsibility, but being mated to a Pack Alpha is worth it.  Especially our boy Jensen.  Just promise me you won’t give up without even giving it a shot.”  
  
Jared’s saved from having to respond by Jensen and Chris slipping back in the booth with more drinks.  Jared looks over at Jensen and finds his breath come up short at the bright smile on the Alpha’s face.  His green eyes are on Jared, warm and intense, and it makes Jared feel flushed.  God, how he wants to believe Steve.   
  
They chat some more, Jensen and Chris talking about their childhood and what utter troublemakers the two of them were.  Steven smiles and adds to it when either of them try to play something embarrassing down or exaggerate something they thought was awesome.  It turns out that Jensen was typically the brains of the operation and almost got Chris expelled from college on more than one occasion.  Jared’s enjoying himself more than he ever could have dreamed when Steve glances down at his watch and then gives Chris a look.  
  
“We’ve got to go get set up,” Chris announces, nodding at his Beta.  “We’ll catch you both after?”  
  
“Of course,” Jensen agrees.  
  
“Great meeting you, Jared,” the Fort Worth Alpha says, reaching out and shaking Jared’s hand.  
  
“Thank you,” Jared says.  “And you as well, Alpha.”  
  
“ _Chris_ , please,” he insists as he and Steve slide out of the booth.  “You two order whatever you want; it’s all on me.  And enjoy the show.”  
  
“Will do,” Jensen says, both Alphas exchanging friendly smiles as Chris and Steve depart.  
  
“That’s generous of him,” Jared comments.  
  
“Well, it helps that he owns the place,” Jensen states with a fond tone.  
  
“I suppose it does,” Jared says, trying not to show his surprise.  “What did they have to go set up?”  
  
“It’s their band that’s playing tonight,” Jensen informs him.  
  
“ _Their_  band?” Jared asks.  
  
“Yeah, that’s how he and Steve met,” Jensen says.  “They both play guitar and write songs.  Chris decided one day that he wanted to form a band, so he put out an ad and Steve showed up.  The next thing I know, they’re married, mated, and have two kids.”  
  
“And a bar and a band,” Jared adds.  
  
“Yes, and that too,” Jensen cracks a smile.  
  
“They’re very interesting,” Jared says.  “Very laid back.”  
  
“Don’t let that fool you,” Jensen says.  “Steve tempers Chris a  _lot_ , but they’re both two of the fiercest wolves I’ve ever met.  I would be lucky to have either of them at my back and consider myself fortunate that they are not my enemy,” he pauses, takes a breath.  “But, that being said, they’re two of my best friends, and they certainly know how to let loose and have a good time.  Some Alphas forget that there’s more to life than governing the Pack.  Chris and Steve don’t.”  
  
“I know what you mean,” Jared says, understanding all too well how obsessive some Pack Alphas could get.  “So, do you have a life outside the Pack?”  
  
“I’m here with you, aren’t I?” Jensen asks with a sly look and a half-cocked smile that speeds Jared’s heart up a bit.  “I actually like to play golf, and I sing a little bit so sometimes Chris’ll pull me onstage, but that’s only when I’m really drunk,” he laughs.  “And then there’s my company, and, well, other stuff,” he trails off with a slight shrug and a glance toward Jared.  
  
The air between them is so charged, so full of potential, that Jared can almost hear  _And you_  in Jensen’s rich voice, and he hopes harder than he ever has that he’s what Jensen considers  _other stuff_.  But Jared’ll never know if that’s what Jensen might have said, because that’s when the house system goes off and loud amps turn on.  
  
Jared hears the twang of an acoustic guitar, someone picking at it expertly, and then the stage lights come on, illuminating the Fort Worth Alpha and Beta and the rest of their band.  There’s a cheer in the crowd that tells Jared that their music is genuinely appreciated here, and not just because it’s their Alpha and his mate.  
Chris steps up to the microphone and introduces the band, and at the first bright and loud bars of their first song drifting through the sound system of the club, Jared can tell they’re good.  Very good.  He glances to Jensen and is pleased to see himlooking relaxed and happy, seeming very into the music.  It makes Jared relaxed and happy as well.  
  
“So, what do you think?” Jensen asks, leaning in close, very close, his breath hot and his lips just barely brushing the shell of Jared’s ear.  He shivers despite the warmth of the club and closes his eyes to get some control over himself.  And if he didn’t know better, he’d think the Alpha was teasing him.  “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asks in that husky voice.  
  
_Fuck yes_ , Jared wants to say.  Actually, he’d rather just show Jensen how much he’s enjoying himself, but he’s sure that climbing onto an Alpha’s lap and mounting him in public is pretty frowned upon, no matter whose territory they’re in.  Instead, he takes full advantage of the situation and leans into Jensen, putting a hand on Jensen’s shoulder, his fingers brushing the back of the Alpha’s neck, all in the pretense of maintaining his balance.  
  
He senses the slight shift in the Alpha, Jensen becoming more aware of Jared and giving him more focus.  Jared wants to melt into his seat as Jensen leans into his touch and puts his hand near enough to Jared to touch his thigh as Jared leans in closer, dipping his head down and placing himself deliberately in the Alpha’s space.  He’s more pleased than he has a right to be when Jensen allows it.  
  
“I’m having a great time,” Jared answers.  “But I must say, I never took you for someone who liked country rock.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” Jensen laughs, pulling back enough to give Jared a mirthful look before leaning back over to Jared’s ear.  “What’d you expect?  That I was some stuffy, classy wolf who drank wine and listened to Mozart all the time?” he jokes.  
  
“Not necessarily,” Jared returns, shrugging and trying not to stare too long at those eyes of Jensen’s.  He’s failing miserably.  “I can’t say what I thought you listened to, but if I had been forced to take a wild guess, this would never have crossed my mind.”  
  
Jensen chuckles again and if he wasn’t so close to Jared, he’d have never heard it.  
  
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know,” Jensen says, voice rough and deep, making Jared flush hot, and for one wild, hysterical moment, Jared gets the impression that Jensen’s going to kiss him.  
  
But then he’s pulling back, watching Jared closely with that intense gaze of his and a knowing smile on his face.  
  
And Jared can’t look away.  
  
The rest of the set passes in a blur of wailing guitar and lyrics sung with a twang.  All of Jared’s focus, what little of it remains, is locked on Jensen, on the heat of him next to Jared, the relaxed smile on his face as he watches his friends, and the quiet confidence he seems to exude at all times. 

 

  
* * *

  
Before Jared knows it, the set ends and the band leaves the stage to thunderous applause and wolf whistling.  The house music comes back on, and Jared busies himself with his drink until the Fort Worth Alpha and Beta come back, sweaty and happy and glowing with the obvious thrill of performing.  
  
“So?” Chris asks as he and Steve settle back into the booth.  
                                             
“Eh,” Jensen says with a noncommittal shrug.  “I’ve heard better.”  
  
“ _You’ve heard better_?” Chris looks quite offended.  But then Jensen cracks a smile and the jig is up.  “You’re an evil little bitch, Jenny,” he sulks.  “Jared, you may want to avert your gaze.  There’s about to be some Alpha-on-Alpha violence going down.”  
  
“You’d never hurt me,” Jensen insists confidently, grinning like a maniac.  “You love me.”  
  
Chris glares at him, both Alphas staring each other down, Jensen knowing he’s got the better of Chris and Chris’s pride recovering slowly.  Jared senses it the moment Chris concedes.  
  
“It’s my curse,” Chris sighs, the corner of his mouth curving upward.  “How about you, Jared?  How’d you like the show?”  
  
“I thought you guys were awesome,” Jared replies.   
  
“See, Jenny?” Chris shoots Jensen a look as he waves his hands in a showy fashion toward Jared.  “ _That’s_  what you should have said, you prick.”  
  
“If you wanted me to stroke your ego, you should have said so, Chrissy,” Jensen drawls.   
  
“Kiss my ass,” Chris shoots back.  “And thank you, Jared.  _You’re_  awesome, and I’m sorry you have to put up with this poor-mannered barbarian.”  
  
Jensen feigns like he’s insulted, but Jared smiles at them both anyway, eyes tracking back toward Jensen as he says to Chris, “eh, he’s not so bad.”  
  
“Well, at least he’s nice to look at,” Chris offers and then cuts Jensen another look.  “When he’s not being rude.”  
  
“Now who’s the prick?” Jensen lifts an eyebrow at the other Alpha.  
  
“Oh, no,” Chris laughs.  “You’re not passing that off on me, pretty boy.  You know what you’re working with.  Don’t even try to pretend that you don’t.”  
  
Jensen grumbles something that Jared can’t quite make out, but by his tone Jared can tell that Jensen would really rather be talking about something else.  Or not talking at all.  Jared can see that Chris knows where some of Jensen’s more sensitive buttons are and has absolutely no problem pushing them.  Hell, Chris even acts like he enjoys tormenting Jensen.  And it’s kind of fun to watch.  
  
But Jared’s got this pull, this feeling of loyalty to Jensen that he’s never felt for an alpha, not even his father or his brother.  He feels compelled to defend Jensen, even if it’s just in character, and even against a Pack Alpha.  But Jared’s nothing if not very skilled at controlling his beta urges.  He’s spent years perfecting that control, after all.  And it’s not like Jensen  _needs_  Jared to step in.  He’s perfectly capable of handling himself, and given the familiarity and history between the two Alphas, Jared’s certain Chris’s teasing is something Jensen’s already accustomed to.  
  
“When’s the last time you got laid, Jenny?” Chris asks, tone a little odd as he casually watches Jared out of the corner of his eye for a reaction.  Jared hopes like hell he’s not as transparent as he feels.  “Because you’re a little bitchier than usual.  You tryin’ to impress anyone?  Because I hate to break your heart, but I’m mated.”  
  
“Fuck you,” Jensen rolls his eyes.  “You’re too short anyway, but whatever gets you through the night.”  
  
“And here I thought it was because I was too good lookin’,” Chris grins.  “You know, rugged and manly.”  
  
“Manly?  Have you  _seen_  my jawline?” Jensen fires back to the surprise of everyone at the table.  “Kiss my ass, Kane.”  
  
“I’m man enough to know when I’m beat,” Chris concedes.  “Damn your good genetics.”  
  
“It’s my curse,” Jensen states dramatically.  Well, as dramatically as Jared’s ever seen the ridiculously even-tempered wolf.  
  
They change the subject, all of them cracking jokes and talking about anything and everything they can think of until the night grows very late and the crowd begins to thin.  Jared relaxes little by little as the evening winds down.  He’s enjoying himself so much that when he realizes the time, he also notices for the first time how close he and Jensen are leaning toward each other, both slouched and comfortable in the booth.  They’re not right on top of each other by any means, and definitely  _not_  as close as Steve and Chris are, but it’s enough to feel the heat from Jensen radiating toward him.   
  
“I like you, Jared,” Steve says suddenly with a friendly smile and a hand on his shoulder that grabs the attention of both Alphas and would have startled Jared had he not been decently buzzed for the last half hour or so.  “You should stick around.”  
  
“Yeah, you should definitely bring him around more often,” Chris agrees with his Beta, sliding those icy blue eyes toward Jensen, but never turning his body away from Steve.  
  
“It’s all up to Jared,” Jensen replies, meeting Chris’s stare.  And what Jared wouldn’t give to know what’s going on in those loaded looks of theirs.  
  
Jensen drives them back to Dallas in his ridiculously nice spaceship of a car (“It’s not a  _spaceship_ ,” Jensen had insisted when Jared first caught sight of his shiny Tesla), and if Jared feels all hot and bothered and stares just a little too much at Jensen as he expertly guides the sleek car through the cool night, then he’s just going to blame it on the beer.

 

  
* * *

  
That night Jared dreams of Jensen.   
  
They’re in the field behind the Ackles family home again.  Jared lifts his head up to the moon and takes a sniff and realizes he’s in wolf form.  It’s not unusual for him to dream of running on all fours, but he’s never dreamed the Alpha there with him.   
  
And there Jensen stands in all of his lupine glory, his coat nearly glowing in the light of the moon and his green eyes fixed on Jared with a feral quality to them.  On any other wolf, it would unnerve Jared to see such a look, but he knows he’s safe with Jensen, that whatever the other wolf is thinking, the last thing on his mind is harming Jared.  
  
Jared gives him a playful yip and gives Jensen chase, the Alpha hot on his heels across the dewy and soft grass.  Jensen catches up to him easily and overpowers him.  He leaps onto Jared’s back and closes his teeth around the back of Jared’s neck, holding him still as he pins him to the ground.  
  
Jared goes willingly, putting his belly to the grass and stretching his neck out, giving Jensen all the room he wants.  And that’s when he slips out of his wolf form and back into human form, Jensen following his shift quickly.  The Alpha’s still got him on the ground, on his hands and knees, face down with his ass in the air.  It’s a vulnerable position, a  _sexual_  position, and the air between them is charged with something, something violent and passionate.   
  
Jared feels Jensen rub his hard cock along the seam of his ass and that’s when he notices the wet between his legs.  He grasps fistfuls of grass and pushes back against Jensen.  _This_  is exactly what he’s been missing, what he’s been aching for over the last few weeks.  This is the answer to everything.   
  
He wiggles his ass around Jensen’s swollen cock again and the Alpha growls deep in his chest as he moves his mouth from the back of Jared’s neck to his shoulder in sloppy, sucking kisses.  Jared moans and writhes with the sensations, squirming around until he’s got his knees spread out on the ground, Jensen fitting in against him tighter.  He’s practically begging Jensen to take him, to end this miserable fever he has, to complete him in ways only the Alpha can.   
  
Jensen gives Jared’s shoulder several sweeping licks and he reaches forward, lacing the fingers of his hand through Jared’s, gripping at the turf with him while his other takes hold of Jared’s hips, stilling them.  Jared feels the spongy head of Jensen’s cock tease his hole, and then Jensen’s forcing his way in, pushing through the slick and slight resistance with all of the power his body affords him.  
  
Jared cries out, squeezing his eyes shut as his body accepts the Alpha.  It’s not that it hurts, because it doesn’t.  Not really.  Not nearly as bad as it could have.  But it eases an ache inside of him that Jared desperately needed to be rid of.  As he gives himself over to the Alpha, he can feel the claim take hold, can feel the Alpha deep within him.  
  
And then Jensen begins to move.  Slowly at first, but as Jared’s cries grow louder and he grips Jensen’s hand harder, Jensen’s thrusts grow stronger and deeper and faster.  He’s pushing them both further, closer to the edge, and just when Jared’s dangling on the precipice of the ultimate pleasure, Jensen’s knot slides through, tying them together.   
  
Jensen groans into Jared’s shoulder, his breath hot and moist where his mouth rests against Jared’s skin.  And if Jared thought he’d been close to coming before, he was mistaken.  He’s never been knotted before, never even wanted it or saw the appeal in it, but having Jensen own him so completely, it brings him to new levels that he’d never before thought existed.   
  
Jensen strokes over Jared’s prostate a handful of times, his knot swelling and rubbing in all of the right places, and then Jared’s coming, calling Jensen’s name as he falls over into oblivion.  Jensen follows him within a handful of stilted strokes, growling low.  
  
And as the first spurt of hot come shoots into Jared’s willing body, Jensen’s teeth sink into his skin, and then Jared awakes with a start.  
  
The first thing he notices is he’s broken out in a sweat.  It’s hot and sticky and very uncomfortable.  He should probably change t-shirts, and maybe rethink the sheets too.  And that’s when he notices that he’s hot and sticky and slick in his boxers as well.   
  
“Shit,” he swears softly, running a hand through his damp hair.   
  
He’s come in his pants to a dream like a teenager.  And if he’s not mistaken, he’s got slick leaking out of his ass too.  Which is just insult to injury at this point.  Fucking beta body.  He sighs and lays there for a moment longer, contemplating his game plan and then a thought occurs to him.   
  
He might be covered in come and sweat, but that was the hottest dream he’s ever had, and he’s pretty certain that a dream that vivid, that sexual about the Alpha has to mean something.  
  
Especially since Jensen marked  _and_  bred him in his dream.  He felt something that he knows his mind couldn’t produce all on its own, some kind of connection, tentative and fading in and out but still there.   
  
And the brightest part of the entire thing?  He’s come for the first time in longer than he cares to remember.  He feels lax and contented and wonderful, and his limbs are loose and vibrating with satisfaction.  The only thing he could improve on is the deep ache he feels low in his gut for the Alpha’s knot and seed.   
  
With a heavy sigh, he pushes those thoughts away and sets about cleaning up.  It doesn’t take him long, just a quick change of the sheets and wiping himself down with a damp cloth before falling back into bed.   
  
This time, he sleeps all through the night.

* * *

Jared and Jensen meet for lunch a few times a week for several weeks straight after that Sunday with the Alpha’s parents and the night out with Jensen’s friends, Donna’s and Steve’s words still weighing heavily on him.  Jared’s starting to get used to Jensen’s presence, though the silver still isn’t helping enough to keep him from needing to jerk off, whether or not he’ll come, several times a day.   
  
And he jerks off so, so much.  It’s obscene.  He’s pretty convinced that if he could die from masturbation, he would have already, and it would have been fine by him.  Because Jensen is too much, but at the same time it’s not enough, and Jared knows that feeling is only going to get worse.  He’s only going to want Jensen more and more until it probably kills him.  Such is the curse of an imprinted beta.  
  
Jared knows he’s in too deep to ever climb back out when he finds himself craving Jensen in more ways than just sexually.  He wants Jensen’s focus, his attention, to be placed high on his list of priorities and given a permanent place in his life.  He wants to never be too far from him for too long, wants to fall asleep with him at night, and wake up next to him in the morning.  
  
It’s like his entire body is coiled tight and tense and he only feels like he can breathe, like he can get any relief, when they’re near.   
  
It’s not healthy.  He knows he’s bordering on obsession, Jensen filling almost every waking thought, but he can’t turn it off.  Everything comes back to the Alpha in one way or another, and he just keeps spiraling downward faster and faster, almost in freefall as every fiber of his being vies to tie itself with Jensen’s, wanting to be near, wanting to be  _his_.  
  
He drags himself to Misha’s considering asking for another silver cuff or maybe even a higher purity of silver, but it’s mostly a last-ditch effort to save the sinking ship that is his sad struggle to not be completely head over heels for the Alpha.  Jared doesn’t really think anything can help him at this point.  He’s just too far gone, and even Misha can tell with one deep, penetrating look.  
  
“You look like someone ran over your dog,” Misha observes, mouth turning downward as concern wrinkles his brow.  “What troubles you, my friend?”  
  
“Mish, I tried so hard,” Jared says, feeling his throat tighten as his heart skips several beats, but needing to get this out there, needing this awful storm of emotions, this burden to be shared.  “I didn’t want this.  I  _never_ wanted this, but I couldn’t stop it and now it’s too late.  I’m so fucked, but I…”  
  
“You love him?” Misha offers kindly and all Jared can do is nod.  This is the closest he’s come to admitting it even to himself.  “I think you have to be the most miserable person in love I’ve ever seen.”  
  
“That’s because it’s hopeless,” Jared says.  “There’s no way… it’s impossible that he wants more from me.  And if he does, he won’t for long.”  
  
“You don’t really believe that,” Misha counters.  “I know you and the Alpha have been living in your own little bubble here lately, but it seems to be pretty obvious to everyone but you that he wants you.  You have been the sole focus of his attention for weeks now.  We’re all just waiting for the announcement.”  
  
They’re silent for a moment, Jared digesting Misha’s words as the other wolf picks at his coffee mug before speaking again.  
  
“He’s not your typical alpha, but he’s still an alpha,” Misha says.  “Look, if it helps any, he’s caught your scent and ever since he’s been displaying textbook courtship behaviors.”  
  
“Like what?” Jared asks, curiosity piqued.  
  
“Like demanding a large portion of your time and attention,” Misha starts.  “Introducing you to the Alpha line for parental approval, showering you with gifts, and taking you out and caring for you.  These things are all indications that he’s serious about you, that he’s trying to prove his worthiness as a mate to you and to get you to accept him as such.  It’s all very basic mating behaviors hardwired into our DNA, even our cousins in the wild do this.  But I think we both know it’s not him you’re really worried about.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Jared asks cautiously.   
  
“You’re afraid,” Misha replies.  “You’re afraid to let yourself want this because you don’t think you deserve to be happy, to have a mate who cares for you.  But you do, Jared.  You deserve everything the Alpha will give you and more.  This isn’t your father’s world; it’s yours.  And as soon as you let go, truly let go, you can take this and make it into anything you want.”  
  
“You make it sound so easy,” Jared says.  
  
“It’s not, and at the same time it is very easy,” Misha states.  “It’s all a matter of perspective.  But my last bit of advice?  The Alpha can only help if you want him to, if you let him.  So why not try?”  
It’s not long after his admission to Misha that Jensen broaches a subject Jared’s been secretly wanting and dreading all at the same time: hanging out.  Outside of the office, outside of downtown, outside of other people.  As in completely alone at Jensen’s house.  And of course, like the masochist he is, Jared accepts.

 

  
* * *

So here he is, at Jensen’s front door, hoping like hell he’ll make it through the night as he rubs a hand over his silver cuff, sending a silent prayer that it keeps him under control enough to get him through the night.  He raises his hand to knock on the door, but Jensen’s there before he gets the chance, swinging it wide and taking Jared’s breath away.  
  
The Alpha’s always attractive to Jared, but he’s probably even more gorgeous now, all soft and relaxed in his home, the sharp business clothes of the work day left behind in favor of faded jeans and an old t-shirt.  He wasn’t even this dressed down for that Sunday with his parents.  And he’s smiling like the sun, like he’s pleased to see Jared, and it gives him a warm and heavy feeling deep in his gut.  
  
“Alpha,” Jared greets him properly, not sure what the etiquette is for the Alpha’s home.  
  
“ _Jensen_ , Jared,” the Alpha corrects him with a look.  “Come inside.  Dinner's almost ready.”  
  
“Thanks,” Jared smiles, stepping through the door and waiting for Jensen to rejoin him.  
  
The Alpha’s house is nice, Jared thinks as he surveys the entryway.  It’s all clean lines and modern fixtures, a far cry from the aged, worn ranch house his own family occupies in San Antonio and the eclectic Old World feel of Jensen’s family home.  He notes shiny wood floors, plush-looking rugs, and tasteful art pieces scattered along the walls.  It’s definitely got a different, newer vibe to it and matches Jensen well.  
  
“Kitchen’s through here,” Jensen says, pulling him from his study of the decor as he appears next to Jared, ushering him through the house.  “Hope you’re in the mood for steak,” he grins, leading Jared to a stool by the breakfast bar and gesturing for him to sit.  “It’s pretty much the only thing I do well.”  
  
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Jared smiles back at him, feeling himself start to settle a bit as Jensen rummages through his stainless steel refrigerator.  
  
“Beer?” he asks from inside the appliance.  
  
“Sure,” Jared agrees, peering shamelessly at Jensen’s firm butt as he bends over to grab two bottles.   
  
“Here,” Jensen offers, popping the top off a bottle and handing it to Jared.  
  
“Thanks,” Jared returns, taking a deep pull off the bottle, watching Jensen do the same, and Jared’s distracted yet again as his eyes immediately fall to Jensen’s throat when he swallows.  Damn, he’s in trouble already.  
  
“So, I’ve been meaning to ask, what brought you to Dallas?” Jensen asks, setting his beer down and going back to the range, flipping two huge slabs of meat.  “It’s highly unusual for Alpha Blood to leave the Pack.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared agrees.  They’ve been dodging the subject since they met, but he’s comfortable with Jensen now, feels like they’re friends, like he can trust the Alpha, that maybe it’s time.  “I just had to get out, you know.  I needed to find my own way, find out who I was outside of Gerald Padalecki’s son,” and it feels actually kind of awesome to tell Jensen this.  Maybe Donna was right after all.  
  
“I know exactly what you mean,” Jensen says, pointing a pair of tongs at Jared.  “I went to South America for a year when I found out I was going to be Alpha, that my father’s health wouldn’t allow him to continue his position,” he shares.  “I felt trapped, unprepared, and unworthy, so I did what I thought was right and it’s complicated, but the short of it is that I sort of ran away.”  
  
“What brought you back?” Jared asks, a little surprised at how open Jensen is with him and glad that the Alpha seems to trust Jared as well.  
  
“The call of the Pack is stronger than the will of the individual, even an Alpha,” Jensen tells him.  “I came back to be different, to be better than those before me, and so far it’s worked out pretty well,” he smiles softly.  “How about you?  Why did you feel like you had to get out of San Antonio?”  
  
“I was tired of pretending to be something I’m not,” Jared confesses, feeling good about getting at least that much off of his chest.  “But I still hide who I am, so I guess nothing has really changed for me except for the scenery.”  
  
Jensen seems to consider him for a moment, growing quiet and thoughtful before he speaks again.  
  
“The thing I learned in South America is that you can alter everything around you, but nothing will truly change until  _you_  accept who you are for yourself,” Jensen advises.  “It’s one of the reasons I went away and it’s definitely why I came back.  I came to terms with being Alpha before I thought I was ready, and I decided to be proactive about it rather than try to avoid what would have been my responsibility someday anyway.  It was a little like trying to swim against the current when what I was meant to be doing was going with it.  All it got me was exhausted and pretty much in the exact same place I would have been had I just gone with it in the first place.”  
  
“You’re right,” Jared agrees.  “But my reasons were a little different.  I had to run because I didn’t want to be the shame of my family any longer, because I wasn’t what they wanted or expected me to be,” he says, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I would never be happy there and nothing I could do would ever make them accept me as I am, or let me accept myself, because I wasn’t born an alpha.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen smiles kindly at his confession, eyes warm and understanding.  “Believe me, I know.”  
  
“You do?” Jared asks.  
  
“From the very beginning,” Jensen replies and Jared’s heart threatens to pound right out of his chest.  “It was pretty hard for me to miss.”  
  
“I’m sorry about that,” Jared blushes and looks away, recalling how stupidly he had behaved the day they met and thankful that he’s gotten better, _smarter_  at hiding how much he wants Jensen.  “I’m still trying to figure out what happened.  You know, when I couldn’t stop myself and tried to approach you without your permission.”  
  
“Maybe you should ask your friend Misha,” Jensen suggests.  “I’d be willing to bet good money that he’s full of useful information.”  
  
“He probably is,” Jared laughs and thinks about Misha and his steadfast support.  “He does know a lot about our kind.”  
  
“And how’s that silver working for you?” Jensen asks, nodding to the cuff on Jared’s wrist.  “I don’t think I’ve seen you without it.”  
  
“I don’t really know,” Jared says, glancing down at the uncomfortable thing.  “I’m beginning to think I should start wearing the other one too.”  
  
“Well, we’ve actually been able to be around each other these past weeks without incident, so it must be doing something for you,” Jensen points out.  
  
“There is  _that_ ,” Jared feels himself grow hot.  “And I’m still really sorry about that.  It was pretty embarrassing.”  
  
“Don’t worry about it,” Jensen chuckles.  “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been feeling the need to break out some silver myself,” he admits, pulling a sparkling chain from under his shirt to show Jared.  
  
“Really?” Jared asks, slightly perplexed that the Alpha would feel compelled to suppress his wolf side around him.  
  
“You were pretty out of it, so you might not have noticed much,” Jensen begins.  “But I’ve never felt that out of control before.  That’s how I knew you had to be a beta.”  
  
“Huh,” Jared grunts unintelligently.  “You know, I’ve never had a reaction to an alpha before,” he admits.  “I’ve never even wanted an alpha.  I’ve fought against being a beta my whole life.  I’ve fought against seeking an alpha for a mate, deferring to alphas, everything.  And I’m tired.  I don’t want to do it anymore.”  
  
“But?” Jensen prompts him.  
  
“I don’t know how to be a beta,” Jared responds.  “I don’t know the first thing about it.  I don’t know anything except what I was taught, which is from an alpha’s viewpoint.  I know nothing of how to be a beta myself.  And it scares me.”  
  
“Who says you can’t be exactly as you are right now?” Jensen asks.  “Who says you have to change yourself to be what you always were?”  
  
“I’ll never attract an alpha mate like that,” Jared snorts.  “At least not one that  _doesn’t_  want to teach me how to be a properly submissive beta.  And I want nothing to do with that.”  
  
“I think you’ll find we do things differently here in Dallas,” Jensen states.  “We’re a bit more modern and progressive in this Pack.”  
  
“That’s why I landed here,” Jared says, nodding in agreement.  
  
“You’ll find your alpha,” Jensen assures.  “One who accepts you, just as you are, and doesn’t want to change a thing about you.  So I wouldn’t worry too much about it, especially if I was a wolf like you.”  
  
“Thank you, Jensen,” Jared says, enjoying the way the Alpha’s name feels in his mouth.   
  
“And no one says you have to settle down with an alpha, Jared,” Jensen states.  “You could mate with another beta or a human or no one at all.  You have all of the options in the world,” and at that, something strange and dark crosses Jensen’s face and Jared wants to say something about it, but holds his tongue instead.  Besides, what could it even mean?  Steve couldn’t be right, could he?  
  
“And what about you?  Let’s put you in the hot seat.  When is the great Alpha of Dallas going to settle down?” Jared asks.  
  
“Oh, I suspect it’ll be when my beta chooses me,” he says casually, though his eyes speak of another thing entirely.  “But I’m pretty sure I have a bit of a wait ahead of me.  You see, my beta has some self-searching to do before he’ll be in a place where we can be together.”  
  
Jared’s full and undivided attention snaps to Jensen the second he makes mention of a male for his mate.  Jared knows the reaction he had to Jensen in his gut, in his blood.  He knows what it means for him, even if he’s having a hard time coming to terms with it.  But Jensen is another matter.  Sure, the Alpha invited him to meet his parents and friends, cooked for him in his home, and he’s wearing silver to keep himself in check, but he can’t possibly…  
  
“He?” Jared has to ask.  He has to know.  
  
“An alpha  _knows_  their mate the second they meet,” Jensen explains.  “The urge to take is almost uncontrollable and nothing matters in that moment except for that electric connection between them.”  
  
“And… and does your beta know that you’re his mate?” Jared asks, eyes glued to the Alpha as he takes another drink from his bottle and sets it back down on the counter.  
  
“I think part of him does,” Jensen answers.  “But he needs to accept it for himself and come to me when he’s ready, when he knows what he wants and has decided that he wants this.”  
  
“And how long will you wait for him?” Jared inquires, and he’s pretty fucking sure at this point that they are, in fact, talking about him.  
  
Jensen levels his heated gaze at Jared, a wave of want slamming into him despite having the silver to help control his libido in the Alpha’s presence.  
  
“As long as it takes.”

 

  
* * *

  
Jared has a lot to think about.  The Alpha is always on his mind these days, especially now after his semi possible confession of wanting Jared back.  And Jared’s stupid with it.  He can’t concentrate at work, he can hardly sleep, he forgets to eat, but he can remember every freckle and every eyelash on the Alpha’s face.  
  
He’s so confused.  The Alpha makes him crazy, makes him want him.  He’s never, ever had any kind of inclination toward an alpha in his life.  He spent his entire childhood having alpha behavior, alpha principals, alpha instincts driven into him until he was even convinced he could be an alpha.   
  
His father spent many a day and night on his education, on molding him into the perfect alpha son.  He’d been encouraged to be rowdy and out of control in public as a child and then to be aggressive and controlling as a teen.  It was only when he began to venture out away from his family and his father’s influence that he realized what was actually going on.   
  
His first year in college brought many changes for him and planted the first seeds of doubt in his mind of whether or not he could really pretend to be the alpha they all said he was.  He knew he couldn’t be the only beta son ever born to an Alpha, but sometimes it felt that way.  He felt isolated and alone with this knowledge and tried his hardest to find a way to be a good alpha son for his father with every soft beta who spared him a glance.   
  
And a lot did, but not because he was some dominant, swaggering alpha.  He knew they were only after the prestige of bedding the son of the San Antonio Alpha.  He knew this and yet he did it anyway, night after unsatisfying night, until he couldn’t take it anymore.  He couldn’t take every beta he was never attracted to and every alpha breathing down his back, hot and heavy and completely unsolicited.  
  
He went home and confronted his father at the end of his junior year, looking for answers.  The blowout that resulted was beyond what he had expected.  It ended in Jared being imprisoned in his house and forbidden to leave until he’d been brainwashed into acting like an alpha again.   
  
He still gets angry and starts to shake with suppressed rage when he thinks of his father and how completely furious he’d been.  How he’d half transformed in the foyer of their house and dragged Jared to his room and locked him in, growling and snarling that if he insisted on being a beta, then he was no son of his.   
  
He spent months locked away, his mother bringing him food and giving him sorrowful looks while his father spent most of the time ignoring his presence and the rest of it trying to terrorize Jared back into playing an alpha role.   
  
But Jared has to remember he’s not there anymore, he’s not the same ignorant child that was afraid to be himself, afraid to let anyone know he’s a beta.  And he has friends.  He has Misha, who could care less about his status or his family line, and he has Jensen.   
  
Jensen.  Just thinking his name brings Jared back to bright green eyes and a shy, private smile.  Jensen is nothing like Jared’s father, nothing like how Gerald had tried to make Jared become.  He’s kind and calm and patient, letting Jared lead their friendship, letting Jared define it and draw the lines, not taking control and forcing his hand and making Jared bend to his will.  
  
Jared appreciates it.  He appreciates Jensen’s quiet nature.  When he’s with him, he doesn’t feel like he’s around such a powerful alpha.  Jensen never pushes the alpha agenda, never makes him feel like he should be a good little beta and bend over and beg him for his knot.  Even if that’s pretty much what Jared wants to do half of the time he’s around Jensen anyway.   
  
And he’s fairly certain that he’s the beta Jensen was talking about.  Jensen’s kept his distance since that night, letting Jared have his space, but Jared knows that his want, his need for the Alpha hasn’t abated at all since they’d met.  If anything, it keeps getting stronger.  He aches when he’s away from the Alpha and he feels like he’s slowly going insane when they’re together.  He just wishes that Jensen would let him know for sure, tell him or something so he knows he’s not alone in this.   
  
It probably doesn’t help that the silver is losing its efficacy either.  He’s starting to feel out of control all of the time, his cock hardening at the barest thought of Jensen and his hole clenching and throbbing, needing to feel the Alpha in him, needing and wanting that knot.   
  
Like now.  At his desk.  When he’s trying to concentrate on work.   
  
His dick is hard and pressing against the seam of his slacks, and he tugs his tie loose, unbuttoning his collar and trying to get some air under the fabric.  It’s so hot in here.  He feels a flush creep up his chest as heat flares low in his gut and he puts a hand to himself, trying to relieve a bit of the pressure.  But he knows it won’t do him much good.  He hasn’t actually gotten any real relief in weeks and he knows that no amount of jacking off will make him feel as satisfied as the Alpha’s touch.   
  
And he wants it.  He wants it bad, and with the way some of the unmated alphas have been looking at him, he knows that he’s got another mating fever coming on.  He’s been having them off and on ever since that dinner at Jensen’s parents’ and they’re ravaging him to the point of utter and complete exhaustion.  Misha has been trying to help him through it, but he has no real personal experience.  A male beta will only go into a fever when in the presence of a compatible male alpha, and since Misha’s only ever had relationships with female alphas, his help only gets Jared so far.   
  
He’s got to leave work soon or go crazy, though.  He needs to get to his apartment and in his shower before he loses control over himself in front of everyone he works with, which would be embarrassing and undignified and thank goodness it’s after hours and most everyone’s gone home.   
  
He just has to finish up this report and then he can leave, escape to the privacy of his home.  Or maybe he should hit up Misha first for the other silver cuff.  He’s never going to make it at this rate.  He’s going to explode from this sitting at his desk.  Jared gives up after a few more minutes of struggling to keep his mind on his work and shuts his computer off.  There’s no point when all he can do is think about Jensen and getting fucked.  Which he’s got to get a handle on before some knot head takes it as an open invitation.  
  
He says goodnight to his remaining coworkers as quickly as possible and gets into the elevator, sinking against the back wall as soon as the doors close and pressing his hand against the hard ridge in his pants again.  God, he’s got to get home.  The doors open on the bottom floor and Jared waves to the night watchman as he hastily exits the building, but the minute the cool night air hits him he picks up the scent of the Alpha, making him shudder as another surge of heat pushes through his veins and the ache in his groin makes it harder to walk.  
  
Jared knows he’s there, doesn’t have a clue as to why he’s there, but his scent is unmistakable.  Even with the silver cuff he can still sense him.  It might be dark outside, but he doesn’t need to see to know Jensen’s close.  He can hear footsteps follow him across the parking lot to his car, the vehicle beeping at him as he presses the button to unlock it.  He takes a glance around, expecting to find Jensen somewhere close, but is mildly disappointed to find the lot empty, the Alpha nowhere to be seen.   
  
As he goes to open the door to his car, he’s taken by surprise when a hard body collides with his, the Alpha pinning him to the cool glass and metal of the vehicle, his scent surrounding Jared.  
  
Okay, so he was a lot closer, and apparently stealthier, than Jared had guessed.  He can hardly be angry about it, though, when Jensen presses into him, grinding his unmistakable hard on into Jared’s ass.  And Jared would probably be embarrassed about the breathless moan that escapes his throat at the contact if he wasn’t so fucking turned on and if he wasn’t getting exactly what he wants.  
  
He’s never been this hard in his entire life, the Alpha’s touch and mere presence doing things to him that he doesn’t quite understand.  It makes him think things he’s never thought before this alpha, things like submitting, baring his throat to Jensen, letting him mark him and take him and claim him as his mate.  
  
“Such a fucking tease,” Jensen’s voice breaks through the fog of want clouding Jared’s brain, the words growled low in his ear as the Alpha slides one hand under Jared’s shirt.  “You don’t even have a fucking  _clue_  how crazy you make me, do you?” Jensen demands, nosing along the back of Jared’s neck, fingers tracing the lines of his abs like he’s trying to memorize the feel.   
  
“Jensen,” Jared gasps out, pushing his ass back into the Alpha as he tilts his head, allowing Jensen more access to his neck.  And god, he’s acting like such a slutty little bitch.  What’s wrong with him?  What is it about this alpha that makes him lose all control?  And why is Jensen hesitating?  
  
“I can’t…” Jensen trails off, mouthing along the back of Jared’s neck, dragging his lips around to Jared’s pulse point.  Jared arches and moans, rubbing himself against the Alpha, wanting to get him off as much as he wants to get off himself.  “God, Jared, forgive me, but I can’t stay away.  I’ve tried so hard, but I just can’t,” he murmurs into Jared’s skin.  
  
“Then don’t,” Jared begs, for what he has no clue.  
  
“Have to,” Jensen argues weakly, grinding into him.  Jared’s arms almost buckle under the force of the Alpha’s movement, but Jensen’s hand tightening on his hip helps keep him from being driven into the car as his movements grow more and more desperate.  “I know you don’t want this, but I can’t stop.  I’m sorry, Jared.  So, so sorry.”  
  
“You’re wrong,” Jared groans, wishing he could get a hand on himself, but if he lets go of the car now, Jensen’ll smash him against it again.  
It’s taking all of Jared’s strength to hold himself up as it is.   
  
“Alpha,” Jared manages to breathe out, voice breaking off into a moan at the subtle brush of Jensen’s teeth on the back of his neck.   
  
Then, suddenly and violently from the ghost of a touch of Jensen’s  _teeth_ against his skin, he’s coming.  Hard.  So hard that the only thing keeping him from sliding to the ground in a boneless heap is Jensen’s iron grip.  He’s panting and gasping, sweat beading at his temples as he collapses onto the cool metal of his car, Jensen relaxing into him and nuzzling his hair, sniffing his sweaty skin as he leans against him.   
  
Jared just kind of wants to stay here, sated and mellow with the low thrum of his desire pulsing just beneath his skin, but Jensen’s body goes rigid behind him and the Alpha pulls away quickly.  The cool night air settles in on his back, and Jared can’t seem to make his legs work properly without Jensen there to hold him up.  He manages to get himself turned around, though, before he slides down the side of his car, falling to his ass on the pavement.  And it’s a little gross, the sticky and heavy feeling in his pants where he’s come all over himself, and he’s still yet to catch his breath, but his attention is riveted to Jensen, who looks like he’s seconds away from a full-blown panic attack.  
  
“Shit,” Jensen swears, horror flashing across his face as his wild eyes lock on Jared’s form.  “Jared.”  
  
“’s cool,” Jared says as casually as he can.  It comes out a little slurred, but his brain’s still kind of melted and nonfunctional, so it’s a little challenging to find a more compelling statement to reassure the Alpha right now that everything—including the first time he’s experienced real relief in weeks, he thinks giddily—was completely consensual.  
  
“I have to go,” Jensen announces, voice tight and strained, before Jared can make his brain work.  “I really do, or I might… god, the way you  _smell_ ,” he groans, eyes burning bright as Jared watches him force the wolf inside to back down.  The Alpha’s so hot right now, and if Jared had any control over his body at the moment, he’d be all over Jensen.  There’s no doubt in his mind.  “I’m so sorry I did that, Jared.  I--”  
  
“I’m fine,” Jared insists, cutting Jensen off.  
  
He makes a shaky attempt at standing and succeeds in getting his car door open before he collapses into the driver’s seat, legs weak and trembling.  He casts a glance back in Jensen’s direction and is a little surprised to see him standing so stiffly, as if it’s all he can do to not force himself on Jared, which Jared wouldn’t really consider to be a bad thing at this point in time.  Hell, he’s pretty stunned that Jensen’s got enough control to keep from bending Jared over the hood of his car and fucking him into next week.  Not that Jared would even lift a finger to stop him.  But it’s pretty clear that even though they both want that, Jensen’s keeping it  _hands off_  for the rest of the night.   
  
“Look,” Jared begins, watching as Jensen starts at the sound of his voice.  “Why don’t we both go home tonight and worry about all of this in the morning?” he suggests.  Because he’s pretty sure that whatever’s happening between them, the parking lot of Jared’s office building isn’t the place for it, regardless of what his dick says.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen agrees, nodding, and Jared’s a little bit surprised that he conceded so quickly, but for an alpha that’s always so poised and in control, Jensen must be feeling desperate to escape before he embarrasses himself further.  “That—that sounds like a good idea.”  
  
“Good night, Alpha,” Jared says, releasing Jensen from whatever obligation he felt that made him stick around.  Jensen’s eyes snap to his then, the air between them electric.  
  
“Good night,” Jensen echoes before leaving as abruptly as he came.   
  
And then Jared’s alone in his car with nothing but his thoughts for company.  He needs to see Misha.  Maybe he’ll have some answers.  
  
But first, home for a change of clothes.

* * *

“Jared,” Misha greets as he swings the door open wide.  “Can’t say I’m particularly surprised to see you,” he glances over Jared, probably noting his disheveled appearance.  “You look like you were in a fight.”  
  
“No, no fight, I promise,” Jared says.  “Can I talk to you?”  
  
“Of course,” Misha agrees, letting Jared in and following him through the house.  “Would you like something to drink?  Some hot tea, perhaps?”  
  
“No, I’m good,” Jared answers with a smile.  “I just have some questions.”  
  
“I have some answers,” Misha replies.  “Kitchen?”  
  
“Sure,” Jared agrees, taking a seat at the table while Misha gets himself some tea.  “So, Mish.  What’s it like, being a Beta?” he begins as Misha takes a seat across from him  
  
“You mean  _What is it going to be like to be the Alpha’s Beta_?” Misha responds with a pointed look.  “You know I can’t answer that.”  
  
“I just figured you might have an idea, what with all of the research and history you do on our kind,” Jared says.  “Do you know anything about it at all?”  
  
“I know what has been expected of Pack Betas in the past, but it’s nothing you don’t know already,” Misha states.  “And our Alpha is a much different Alpha than those who have come before him,” he adds, taking a sip of his drink and giving Jared a thoughtful look.  “Has he made an offer?  Has he asked you to be Beta?”  
  
“He might have, but I’m not exactly sure,” Jared answers, unsure still about what exactly went down tonight.  “He, uh, pinned me to my car and sniffed me.  And then he apologized a lot.”  
  
“Did he do anything else?” Misha asks, blue eyes curious and interested.  
  
“Yes,” Jared blushes deeply.  
  
“Did he bite you?”  
  
“No, not really,” Jared replies, rubbing his fingers over the place where Jensen’s teeth grazed his skin, Misha’s sharp eyes following the movement.  
  
“On the back of your neck?” Misha starts to smile, and it’s not particularly friendly.  “And there were teeth involved?”  
  
“There may have been, just a little, but he didn’t break the skin,” Jared shifts uncomfortably, feeling his dick grow heavy in his pants at the memory of Jensen toying with the idea of biting him and the whisper-soft touch of sharp teeth on his heated skin.  But though the Alpha didn’t bite him, Jared knows he wanted to.  They both wanted him to.  
  
“Did you come?”  
  
“Misha!  Seriously,” Jared sputters, blushing deeper and harder than he ever thought possible.  
  
“I am serious,” Misha insists.  “It’s important.  Did the Alpha make you come?”  
  
“ _Yes_.”  
  
“When his teeth touched your skin?” Misha pushes.  
  
“Yes,” Jared grumbles, hiding behind his hands.  “Are you done torturing me now?”  
  
“Yes,” Misha replies.  
  
“And?” Jared prompts him.  This all had to mean something significant, after all.  
  
“And what?” Misha asks, sighing at Jared’s puppy eyes.  “He laid his teeth on you.  It’s a dominance display,” he explains.  “He needed to see if you’d submit, which you did, and then he put a claim on you, to declare you his intended, and when you came in your pants, you accepted.  You showed him that you are, in fact, highly compatible mates.”  
  
“He claimed me?” Jared asks.   
  
“You really were isolated as a child, weren’t you?” Misha grumbles.  “Look.  Have you noticed the way other wolves look at you since you’ve been socializing?” he asks.  “They can smell him on you.  _I_  could before you even walked through my door.  I had half a mind to send you back out, because I know he wants to mate you and I have no desire to get between the Alpha and what he wants.  You’re my friend, and I know there will be no misunderstanding between us, but others in the pack will defer to you, treat you like you’re already Beta, because many think that it is only a matter of time before he marks you.”  
  
“And is that going to hurt?” Jared asks.  “The marking?”  
  
“It could,” Misha replies.  “Past Alphas have used it as an example of how to properly subdue their Betas, to assert their dominion and authority with as little care for the Beta’s comfort as possible.  But if it’s done right, and we both know the Alpha will do whatever he has to in order to please his Beta, you probably won’t even notice he’s marked you until after the fact.”  
  
“And will everything settle then?” Jared asks.  “This crazy hormone ride?”  
  
“It should,” Misha says.  “You should both feel calmer once you’ve completed the bond.”  
  
“And then I’ll be Pack Beta,” Jared says with a stuttering sigh.  It’s nerve wracking, knowing he’s about to step into a Pack role or face going insane with his unconsummated bond to Jensen.  
  
“And then you’ll be Pack Beta,” Misha agrees.  “You will be the Alpha’s second in command, his mate, and the partner to the leader of this Pack.”  
  
“No pressure then,” Jared comments tightly.   
  
“What are you worried about?” Misha asks.  “The Pack will follow you.  No one will question the Alpha’s choice.  And if you’re concerned about how he’ll treat you, I think you know he won’t ever hurt you.  He’s a different Alpha, a different wolf than his predecessors, than your father.  You have nothing to fear.”  
  
“I know,” Jared replies.  “And I’m not afraid of him, not really.  I just… what if I’m not enough?”  
  
“There’s only one way to find out,” Misha suggests

 

  
* * *

  
Nervous, Jared raises his hand and knocks, the silver of the cuff sparkling in the street lamp.  He’s not sure what’s considered improper at this point in their highly unusual dance, so he’s keeping his bases covered.  Seconds later, the door opens and Jensen’s there, hair out of control and dressed in wrinkled sleep clothes.  
  
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come so late,” Jared apologizes immediately, lowering his eyes and glancing away.  It was a really stupid idea to come to the Alpha’s house.  What was he thinking?  
  
“It’s all right, Jared.  You’re welcome here any time,” Jensen says, opening the door wider and stepping aside.  “Come in.”  
  
Jared just stands there, stunned that Jensen’s inviting him into his house at such an obscene hour of the night, but there the Alpha is, waving him through.  He knows this is it.  This is the final line in the sand.  Beyond that door is the point of no return.  If he goes in there now, he’s going to let Jensen mark him.  He’s going to mate him, and there’ll be no going back.  Everything’s going to change.  
  
And that’s exactly what he wants, exactly what he came for.  
  
“Are you going to come in, or just stand there all night?” Jensen asks, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“Sorry,” Jared says again, stepping past Jensen into the darkened entryway.  He doesn’t miss the deep breath Jensen takes or the shudder that passes over him this time as he takes in Jared’s scent.  He can’t miss it now that he’s looking for it, now that he knows.  
  
Jared waits with barely contained excitement in the foyer as Jensen shuts the door behind them and locks it, locking them in and locking everything else out.  As the dead bolt hits, the rest of the world seems to fade away, like he and Jensen are the only two wolves left.   
  
“Come,” Jensen commands softly, moving through the house, Jared following obediently.  
  
He leads them to his living room where he turns on a lamp, the soft light casting a deep golden glow across the room.  Jensen stands in the light, watching Jared where he stands, the dim glow from the lamp making the Alpha appear soft and relaxed, a stark contrast to the very powerful, very strong wolf Jared knows is inside.  
  
“What brings you here, Jared?” Jensen asks, eyes sharp and questioning.  
  
It’s a legitimate thing for Jensen to ask after what happened in the parking lot of Jared’s office building.  Jared’s pretty sure Jensen had thought the worst afterward, that he’d violated Jared and that the best thing would be to disappear, but all he’d done was validate Jared’s suspicions and strengthen his resolve to come to the Alpha, to wipe out everything standing in their way so that there would be nothing left but them.  
  
“I think we both know why I’m here,” Jared replies, reaching for the cuff on his wrist with a surprisingly steady hand and making a show of it.  He manages to take the silver and leather off and drop it to the nearest table in a very measured, very calculated action, the Alpha’s full attention on his every move.  
  
The instant the silver leaves his skin, the Alpha’s presence floods his system and that pulsing, driving want comes back in full force, nearly taking him to his knees with how much he needs the other wolf.  He gasps at the rush of pure desire that courses through him unimpeded and clenches his fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms and helping to ground him a little, keeping him from whimpering and begging for it like he really wants to.  
  
“Do we?” Jensen asks, smile slow and predatory with his canines partially descended, ready and likely aching to bite, those white teeth flashing in the dim light as his eyes track Jared from across the room.  
  
Jared shivers at that slight show of teeth, at the memory of them grazing the back of his neck, a promise of what they both wanted.  Jared can only think of how much he wants the Alpha, how willing he’d be to drop to his knees and bare his throat, submit to Jensen and anything he wants with just one word.  It amazes him how civilized they’ve become as a species, but how deep down they’re just as wild and driven by their instincts as they ever were.  
  
“Tell me, Jared.  Ever fuck an alpha?” Jensen asks, fixing almost glowing green eyes on him.  “I need to know.”  
  
“No,” Jared answers, all of his strength being used to keep upright.   
  
He wants this, wants Jensen to take him,  _mark_  him, more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.  But he’s got to be properly vetted first, he knows, and it appears that Jensen’s picking now, now when they’re both finally on the same page, finally ready to give in to each other, when the alpha in Jensen is in control and the beta in Jared is primed and so, so ready for him.  
  
“Do you want this?” Jensen asks, standing still and seemingly unaffected but for the flare of his nostrils and the slight bulge under his lip where his canines rest, while Jared feels himself lose his grip and start to fall apart.  
  
“You know I do,” Jared replies.  He knows Jensen can smell the pheromones coming off of him in waves.  Hell, the whole block probably can, maybe they even know that a Pack Beta might be taken tonight.  
  
Jensen smiles again and Jared seriously considers coming in his pants right then and there.  _Again_.  It’s not like it’s all that hard with Jensen being the catalyst.  
  
“Have you ever been marked?  Has anyone ever put a claim on you?” Jensen asks, still so calm, though Jared is beginning to catch whiffs of the Alpha’s excitement through the fog of his own desire.  And it is delicious.   
  
A part of Jared hopes the whole Pack can smell how much the Alpha wants him, but another more selfish and primal part never wants anyone else to know what Jensen smells like when he’s this turned on.  When he’s this wound up because of Jared.  
  
“No,” Jared responds, shaking his head.  
  
“Good,” Jensen says.  “Come.”  
  
Jared feels his body snap into motion well before his brain can catch up, responding to the will and needs of his alpha like a good little beta.  Jensen makes a sound in his chest at Jared’s quick response to his command, and it’s deep and contented and it scares Jared how happy it makes him to have pleased the Alpha so.  But Jensen’s still not touching him, and Jared pouts, moving into the Alpha’s space.  He can now see the muscles in Jensen’s jaw working, his body a rigid line as he holds himself in place, keeps himself from reaching out to Jared.  
  
“Alpha,” Jared murmurs.   
  
“ _Jensen_ , Jared,” he insists, as he always does.  “You don’t need to refer to me as Alpha, mate.”  
  
Jared whines as need to fulfill that title comes over him, making him step closer to Jensen, just a hair shy of pressing himself against the Alpha and easing that burning ache he feels.  
  
“Wait,” Jensen commands him and he freezes, panicking that he’s displeased the Alpha.   Jensen must smell it in the change in his scent, because he softens his stance, face mirroring Jared’s, letting him see the want and need he has as well.  “Ask.”  
  
“What?” Jared says dumbly.  
  
“Ask me for it,” Jensen states.  “I will not take you,  _mate_  you, unless you ask.”  
  
Oh.  Of course.  Jensen  _is_  the Pack Alpha.  There are many wolves who would bend to his will whether they wanted to or not.  Jared thinks it’s a chivalrous gesture, but wholly unnecessary, given that he has wanted nothing more than for Jensen to claim him from the first moment they met.  Ever since he first laid eyes on the man.  And, okay, he knows that his desires aren’t really all that uncommon among the unmated in the pack, but for a beta wolf who has  _never_  desired an alpha, he’d known right from the start, at least on some basic, instinctual level, that this man is his, his mate.  
  
And there’s  _nothing_  that can stop him from doing this now.  There’s absolutely nothing that will keep him from asking the Pack Alpha to take him as his mate, and the significance of this is not lost on Jared.  He knows, having been raised an Alpha’s son, that it is not typical for the dominant of the pair to put the power of the mating in the hands of the passive partner.  But here Jensen is, defying convention yet again and amazing Jared on yet another level.  
  
“Jensen, I want you,” Jared says, body humming in anticipation.  “I want you, Alpha, and I want you as my mate above all others.  I want to be yours,” he continues, wanting and waiting for his alpha to just fucking touch him already.   
  
“And you are,” Jensen says and reaches for Jared, grasping his head and burying his fingers in Jared’s hair as he drags their mouths together, lips crashing in a bruising kiss.  Jared arches into Jensen immediately, hands clenching in the Alpha’s clothes, finally feeling relief as he opens under Jensen’s demanding kiss.   
  
He thinks it probably says something about the two of them and their desperation when neither seems to be bothered to look further than the floor for a flat surface.  As Jared starts to lose control and give himself over, Jensen guides them both down to the plush rug under their feet, laying Jared out as he covers his mate, settling in between Jared’s legs as he lets them fall open.  
  
“Jensen,” he murmurs, pushing up against the Alpha, grinding their cocks together as stars dance behind his eyes.  
  
“God, Jared, the things I want to do to you,” Jensen groans, flexing his hips back into Jared.  
  
“Please, just do it,” Jared begs, head knocking back into the floor as Jensen rubs their erections together again.   
  
“You’ve never been knotted,” Jensen points out, mouth dropping to Jared’s neck, his teeth scraping along Jared’s hot skin in a tease that has him nearly bucking Jensen off of him.  Jared just wishes he’d fucking bite him already.  “It’s not easy the first time, and I don’t want to hurt you or scare you.”  
  
“You won’t,” Jared argues.  “I don’t care.  Please, I want it, Alpha.  I need you.”  
  
“You’ve got me,” Jensen answers, mouthing along Jared’s pulse point.  “I’ll take care of you.”  
  
“Please,” Jared begs again.  The need in him to join with his alpha is making him crazy.  He feels like he’s coming out of his skin and the only thing keeping him grounded is Jensen, but the longer he goes unmarked with Jensen so close, the more desperate and out of control he feels.  And he’s already waited so long,  _too_  long.  
  
“Jared, focus on me for a second,” Jensen requests, voice breaking through the fog as he pulls back and waits until Jared lays glassy eyes on him.  “I’ve got to mark you.  It’ll help take the edge off, but it’s going to hurt, okay?  I’m sorry there isn’t anything I can do about that.”  
  
“It’s okay.  Anything, please.  I need you,” Jared agrees quickly, wrapping long legs around Jensen, locking their hips together as he rubs up against the Alpha, groaning when they come into contact again.  
  
“Jared, please.  I need you clear-headed for a minute here,” Jensen says with a bit more authority, but Jared can hear the strain.  He’s wearing Jensen down.  “I can’t control my wolf for very much longer, and it’s very important that you know what you’re agreeing to.”  
  
“I know,” Jared insists.  Jesus, isn’t that what asking Jensen to mate him was all about?  
  
“You’re stupid-high on my pheromones,” Jensen states, holding himself rigidly above Jared, who is doing everything in his power to get Jensen back within reach.  “I just need you to come down for long enough to understand what I’m asking you, or I’m going to put the silver back on and ask this from across the room.”  
  
“No!” Jared protests, holding Jensen tighter with his legs, locking them at his ankles to keep the Alpha in place as he grips Jensen’s shirt tight.  “I swear, I’m coherent, I know what’s going on, and I  _really_  want you to bite me.  I promise.”  
  
“You’re sure?” Jensen regards him carefully, but this is the last chance Jared has to turn back, the last line to cross that can never be uncrossed, and Jared’s ready to shove Jensen right over it.  
  
“Yes, absolutely,” Jared answers, meeting Jensen’s eyes, pleased to find them as wild as he feels.  “Bite me, Alpha.”  
  
“Anything you want, Beta,” Jensen concedes finally, covering Jared’s body with his own again and everything feels like it finally,  _finally_  snaps into place.  
  
“Want you to fuck me,” Jared whispers into Jensen’s mouth as he kisses him hard and fast.  
  
“Not tonight,” Jensen stands firm.  “I’m not tying you tonight, Jared.  Anything but that.”  
  
“But--”  
  
“Just lay back and relax,” Jensen suggests.  “I promise I’ll take care of you.”  
  
Jensen shuts him up with his tongue in Jared’s mouth before he can even think of a response.  Jared presses back up into Jensen again when the Alpha slides his hands under Jared’s shirt, shoving it up his chest and dragging fingertips along sensitive skin.   
  
“Want you naked,” Jared mutters, clutching at the hem of Jensen’s shirt and attempting to tug it upward.  
  
Jensen pulls away briefly, hauling his shirt off over his head, and then reaches down to pull Jared’s off as well.  Both bare-chested now, Jensen’s fingers drop to Jared’s belt and the fastening on his jeans, getting them both open as Jared lifts his hips, helping Jensen get the heavy denim off.  Jared hisses as the pressure disappears, allowing his cock the freedom to tent his boxers, straining up toward Jensen as he leaks pre-come all over the flimsy fabric.   
  
“Look at you,” Jensen says quietly, reverently.  “So wet and hard and aching for it.  You want me to touch you?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared groans, reaching for Jensen, grasping at his shoulders and tugging him back down.  
  
“God, you’re so beautiful,” Jensen murmurs, covering Jared again, both of them gasping at the feel of their naked chests pressed together.  
  
And this time, Jared feels like he’s burning alive when Jensen kisses him.  The Alpha’s skin on his is hot and smooth and Jared couldn’t keep himself from shoving his hands down Jensen’s boxers and grabbing his ass even if he wanted to.  Which he doesn’t.  Jensen growls, kiss turning sloppy and rough, as Jared digs his fingers into Jensen’s firm ass, pulling them together tight and hard, and then Jensen’s shoving Jared’s boxers down, taking him in hand and giving him a quick stroke as he bucks and begs Jensen for more, the Alpha’s touch more electrifying than anything he’s felt before.  
  
Jared cries out, breaking from Jensen’s soft mouth, and tosses his head back as he thrusts into the Alpha’s tight grip.  Jared’s writhing on the floor, pushing up against Jensen as he works Jared fast and hard, and Jared can feel it rising up in him, his orgasm close, so close, and Jensen nuzzles into his neck, licking and sucking.  Jensen fists a hand in Jared’s hair and pulls his head to the side with a sharp tug, holding him steady, and Jared hisses and moans with the stinging in his scalp, writhing up against Jensen as his balls draw up tight, his body primed and teetering on the edge of bliss.  
  
Distantly, Jared knows Jensen’s going to mark him, knows the mechanics of it, knows that the Alpha is setting him up for it.  But it’s still a surprise when Jensen growls deeply and bites down on the join of his neck and shoulder, sharp teeth sinking in easily and breaking the skin.  And it’s better than he dreamt it.  
  
“Oh fuck,” Jared curses, jerking against Jensen’s strong hold, hands gripping the Alpha tight as he comes harder than he ever has before.  Fire floods through Jared’s veins, burning him up from the inside out as the Alpha hangs on, and then euphoria crashes over him, a deep satisfaction settling in his bones as the Alpha’s claim is completed and Jared is marked.  
  
He gasps and shudders in Jensen’s steel-like grasp as Jensen works him through his orgasm, squeezing and stroking him until he’s a whimpering, twitching mess.  It’s only then that he realizes Jensen’s come in his boxers, the material heavy and damp against Jared’s flushed skin, and he vaguely wonders if Jensen came from the marking, like Jared did.  He’s heard that marking, claiming a mate, is a euphoric experience for an alpha.   
  
Jared suspects he’s bleeding, probably all over Jensen’s nice rug.  The bite went pretty deep, and it’s a little weird, but kind of nice how Jensen’s still there, holding him gently as he cleans Jared’s wound, soothing it with soft swipes of his tongue as he gentles his hand in Jared’s hair, fingers caressing his scalp in a silent apology.  Jared knows they should get off the floor, clean up a bit, and see what kind of damage Jensen’s mark has done, but it’s pretty awesome here, under his mate, letting Jensen take care of him as he drifts weightlessly along.  
  
A few moments later, Jared breaks the spell.  “How’s it look?” he asks, shifting a little as the rug and the hard floor beneath become more and more uncomfortable.  
  
“Not bad,” Jensen answers, pulling back and meeting Jared’s eyes.  “We should probably clean up though, and then sleep for a little while.”  
  
“But what about--”  
  
“In the morning,” Jensen insists.  “We’ll talk about all of it in the morning.”  
  
“Okay,” Jared concedes.  He  _is_  pretty wiped out, after all.   
  
Jensen stands and offers him a hand, which he takes and allows the Alpha to pull him to his feet.   And now that he’s standing, it’s more obvious to him than ever how exhausted he really is, how the strain of holding out for so long wore him down.  The feeling increases to a sluggish bonelessness as Jensen maneuvers him into the bathroom, pushing him under the warm spray of the shower.  But Jensen’s right.  They should clean up first, and then go to bed.   
  
He lets Jensen wash them off, completely drained from the excitement of being marked in combination with weeks of denial and then coming his brains out by Jensen’s hand.  He leans into the Alpha’s gentle touch, enjoying this aspect of the alpha-beta relationship, feeling happy and content as his mate cares for and looks after him.  And it’s another surprise to Jared, having been raised to be such a dominant wolf, and yet it’s one more sign that Jensen is indeed his true mate.  
  
“I love you,” Jared murmurs into Jensen’s wet hair, nuzzling into his damp skin as the words fall from his lips without his permission.  It’s not at all what he’d meant to say but it feels natural, the time feels right, so he lets it go, doesn’t try to walk it back.  
  
Jensen chuckles warmly, stepping back as he turns off the water and reaches for a towel.  
  
“Let’s go to bed and if you still feel like that tomorrow, we’ll talk,” he suggests.  
  
“But I do,” Jared insists, following Jensen out of the shower and holding still for him as he dries Jared off.  
  
He does love Jensen.  It’s the only thing he knows for sure right now, the only thing that makes any sense to him, and he is  _not_  going to feel differently about this in the morning, regardless of what Jensen thinks.  But he lets it slide for now.  They’re both tired and Jensen probably thinks he’s delirious or still jacked up on his pheromones, or whatever excuse he can come up with.  But Jared knows what he feels, and he knows it’s true.

* * *

Jared wakes alone, but he can hear Jensen banging around in the kitchen as the smell of breakfast cooking hits him, and that alone is enough to get him out of bed.  He locates boxers and pulls them on before padding down the hallway and into the kitchen.  Jensen’s already made coffee and appears to be stirring up something in a bowl-- probably pancake mix, if his nose is to be believed-- at the counter.  His back is to Jared, finely muscled and toned, and Jared really can’t be held responsible for looking his fill as Jensen works.   
  
It’s not long before he can’t stand it, the need to be marked having been replaced with a different, more subtle need for his mate, and Jared goes to Jensen, pressing against him and pushing him into the counter as Jensen sets the mixing bowl aside.  Jared rubs his nose into the fine hair at the back of Jensen’s head and hums contentedly as the Alpha relaxes back into him.   
  
“Morning,” Jared says, voice low and rough from sleep.  
  
“Morning,” Jensen returns, spinning and flipping them around faster than Jared can think and pinning Jared to the counter instead.  “Sleep well?” he asks, leaning into Jared and inhaling his scent as Jared tips his head to the side, allowing Jensen all the access he could want.  
  
“Very,” Jared answers, spreading his stance so Jensen can fit up against him.  “You?”  
  
“Best sleep I’ve had in weeks,” Jensen responds, hands gliding along Jared’s skin, sending a shiver down his spine.  And Jared understands.  He hasn’t slept well since he first smelled Jensen either.  
  
Jared puts his hands on Jensen’s hips, pulling them together as he slants his mouth over his mate’s, kissing him slow and deep.  At the very first touch, he can feel the Alpha in him, can feel his emotions, how happy he is, how turned on he is, and he moans softly, Jensen’s answer a rumble from deep in his chest.  
  
“I love you,” Jared breathes against Jensen’s lips, eyes opening lazily, meeting the deep green of the Alpha’s.  Jensen blushes a little, biting his lip and smiling at Jared as he continues.  “I wasn’t so high I could forget that,” he says, feeling an answering smile cross his face.  “It was true last night, it’s true this morning, and it’ll still be true a hundred years from now.”  
  
“You’re amazing,” Jensen comments, holding Jared close.  “I can’t believe you’re mine.  My perfect, beautiful mate,” he says, voice full of wonder.  
  
“I’m not perfect,” Jared argues, fidgeting under the Alpha’s intense gaze.  
  
“You are to me,” Jensen insists.  
  
“Why?” Jared asks.  “I don’t think I’ll ever be a real beta.  I don’t know anything about being a good beta to my alpha.  I’m impulsive and reckless--”  
  
“And strong and intelligent,” Jensen states, cutting him off.  “You don’t see what I see.  You’re a formidable wolf, Jared, who knows who he is without the labels, who is balanced and just, loyal and kind, and for these reasons, I know you’re right for me.  I know you’re going to be an amazing Pack Beta and everyone will love you.”  
  
“How can you be so sure?” Jared asks.  He doesn’t really think he’s any of those things.  
  
“Because I love you,” Jensen replies.   
  
“You do?” Jared asks, happiness exploding through his chest.  
  
“You doubted me?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Well, you dodged it last night,” Jared points out.  “It’s kind of hard to feel confident when it’s one-sided.”  
  
“It was never one-sided,” Jensen assures him.  “I never would have marked you or bound you to me without being one hundred percent sure that you love me like I love you.  I’ve been waiting for you since the moment we met, and I’d have waited an eternity if that’s what it took.  How can that not be love?”  
  
“You’re so squishy, Jensen,” Jared teases.  “What would the Pack think of their bad ass Alpha if they saw him being all soft and romantic with his mate?”   
  
Jared’s heart trips in his chest at the word.  _Mate_.   
  
“I don’t care,” Jensen answers.  “I have you and that’s all that matters.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared agrees, kissing Jensen again.  He can feel his alpha grow hard against him and he flexes against Jensen, earning a groan in response as Jensen opens under his mouth.  “Can we please have sex now?” Jared begs.  
  
“You don’t want breakfast?” Jensen laughs.  
  
“I’d rather have you,” Jared replies, grinning.  
  
“Well, we do need to consummate the bond pretty soon,” Jensen says.  
  
“No time like the present,” Jared quips.  
  
“You sure about this?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Very.  I want this.  More than anything,” Jared insists.  
  
“Alright,” Jensen finally agrees.  “Let me clean up here and I’ll meet you in the bedroom, okay?”  
  
“Don’t be long,” Jared says as Jensen lets him up.  
  
“Oh, I won’t,” Jensen chuckles, sending him on his way.  
  
Jared doesn’t have to wait long.  He’s just stripped his boxers off and gotten comfortable on the bed when Jensen reappears.  Jared smells him, smells his desire, before he sees him, the scent of fresh rain and a dark spice catching his attention.  His mate’s scent is something he’d recognize anywhere and he feels a surge of jealousy and possessiveness at the fact that other wolves can smell him, that he’s not the only one with the privilege of Jensen’s scent.  
  
“I love  _you_ ,” Jensen says, and Jared knows he was projecting his feelings through their newly forged bond.  “Don’t ever forget that, Jared,” his alpha reassures him as he strips quickly and joins him on the bed.  
  
“Show me,” Jared requests, hands going to Jensen’s hot skin as he crawls over him.  
  
Jensen’s answer is a bruising kiss, his mouth hard against Jared’s as he runs his hands over Jared’s naked body.  Jared arches into every touch, feeling the Alpha’s fingertips move across his skin, leaving tiny shocks and goosebumps in their wake.  Jared loves it.  
  
He slides his hands down over the round, firm globes of Jensen’s spectacular ass and he squeezes, digging his fingers in and drawing Jensen’s hips forward.  He’s well rewarded when Jensen’s hard alpha cock grinds into his own, the friction making his blood heat in his veins.  Jensen nips at Jared’s bottom lip and repeats the action, growling deep in his chest as he reaches down and pulls one of Jared’s thighs over his hip.   
  
Jared follows Jensen’s lead and wraps both legs around the Alpha, opening himself to Jensen in ways he’d never even thought of in his wildest fantasies before.  But this wolf, he’s different.  He’s  _everything_ , and it should scare Jared half to death how much he’s given Jensen, but it doesn’t.  He’s never felt safer than right here, right now, open and laid bare and completely at the Alpha’s mercy.   
  
“I need you,” Jared chokes out as Jensen leans back and strokes a hand over his trembling stomach.  “I want you.”  
  
“I know, and I want you too.  So bad,” Jensen says softly, circling his hand closer and closer to Jared’s already weeping cock.  “But I don’t want to take this too fast.”  
  
“Please,” Jared whispers, clenching his fists in the sheets and squeezing his eyes shut as Jensen takes hold of his cock and strokes him loosely, just enough to tease.  “Please.”  
  
“Please what?” Jensen asks.   
  
“In me,” Jared answers brokenly, trying to push his hips up faster into Jensen’s fist, but it’s no use.  “I need you in me.”  
  
“Let me do this right?” Jensen requests and Jared opens his eyes in time to see Jensen suck a finger into his mouth.   
  
Jared nods when they make eye contact and Jensen lowers his finger to Jared’s hole, circling and stroking the wet tip around him until he relaxes enough to pop the tip inside in time with a downward stroke on Jared’s dick with Jensen’s other hand.  The sound Jared lets out at just the tip of the Alpha’s finger in him could in no way be considered dignified, but fuck it feels so good.   
  
“More, please, more,” Jared begs and Jensen obliges, slipping his entire finger inside smooth and easy.  
  
“You’re so wet, Jared,” Jensen murmurs almost reverently, pulling his finger out and then sliding it back in again.  “I bet I could just slide another in.  Want me to?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared agrees readily, feeling his whole body shudder when Jensen pushes two fingers into him easily.  “Jensen!” he gasps and jerks against Jensen when his mate curls his fingers and hits his prostate.   
  
“That feel good?” Jensen asks, trying the same move again without the same results.  
  
Jared nods and then cries out when Jensen succeeds in finding his prostate again.  He can feel how ready his body is, how it’s preparing itself to accept Jensen into him, and it makes him quiver in anticipation, his need for the Alpha driving him.  
  
“I’m good,” Jared assures Jensen as he reaches down and pulls the Alpha’s fingers out.   
  
“You sure?” Jensen asks, bracing himself over Jared.  “You’ve never done this before.  It’s different than you think.”  
  
“I’m ready,” Jared says, attempting to get Jensen closer again.  “I want to.”  
  
“If you’re sure,” Jensen says, holding off despite Jared trying his best to pull them together.  “There’s no going back after this.  We’re bound forever.”  
  
“I’m sure.  Need you now, Jensen,” Jared whines, bucking up and trying to get his alpha in him already.  “Please.  Fuck me, please.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen agrees, lining up and pushing in slowly.  
  
Jared gasps and squeezes his legs around Jensen’s hips, trying to pull him in faster as he feels the head of Jensen’s cock slip past his rim.  He needs this deep and hard and fucking  _yesterday_ , but Jensen’s too strong and all of his struggles remain ineffectual.  
  
“Quit that unless you want this to be over in three seconds,” Jensen warns, sinking in balls-deep with a shaky groan.  
  
“Fuck,” Jared moans, head tossed back and eyes clenched shut at the feeling of being filled with his alpha.  
  
“That’s the plan,” Jensen laughs, nosing into Jared’s neck and giving the heated skin a lick.  
  
“Please,” Jared begs again, tilting his head away to give Jensen more room.  He’s never said  _please_  so much in his life, nor wanted anyone else so desperately.  
  
Jensen licks at the healed mark from where he bit Jared the evening before and Jared arches against him, whining as a shock of pleasure surges through him.  It’s  _his_  alpha and  _his_  mark, and here he is, finally taking Jared and it’s almost more than Jared can handle.  But he’ll do it, he’d do anything for his alpha.   
  
“Come on,” Jared pleads.  “Hard.  I can take it,” he assures Jensen, trying to get him to move again.  “I want it so bad, Jen.  Want you.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen replies.  “Want you too.”  
  
The next flex of Jared’s hips into Jensen’s earns him the Alpha’s teeth on his neck and a deep warning growl that he answers with a smile and a moan.  He knows, can tell through their bond, that Jensen’s already giving in to him.  Jensen backs away as he begins to move gently within Jared, the pleasurable drag of his cock on Jared’s insides calming and settling him.  Jared’s hold tightens as Jensen picks up his pace, his fingers trying to find purchase in Jensen’s short hair as he pulls him down for a sloppy kiss.  
  
“Gonna knot you,” Jensen murmurs against his mouth and Jared groans in response, his painfully hard dick giving a twitch and leaking pre-come against his stomach at the very thought of Jensen buried deep inside him, tying them together, Jared taking everything Jensen has to give him.  “Just relax, okay?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared gasps breathlessly as Jensen slows his rocking, settling into deep, penetrating thrusts.  
  
Jared feels himself falling apart, Jensen reaching places in him that shoot lightning down his spine and make him want to come out of his skin.  Jensen’s knot starts to swell at the base of his length and Jared jumps, his eyes immediately going to Jensen the instant he feels it press against him.  He wants to be brave for his alpha, and he’s a little afraid, but he needs it in him so badly that he bears down on Jensen’s cock and on the next thrust, the knot slides through nice and easy.  
  
“Oh, shit,” Jensen groans, dropping his mouth down to Jared’s shoulder as Jared’s back bows tight, vision whiting out at the feeling of having his mate’s knot in him.   
Jared can no longer form coherent thoughts.  Jensen’s cock feels so huge within him, the engorged knot brushing across Jared’s prostate with every rock of the Alpha’s hips.  And just when the lights behind his eyes grow too bright to stand, Jared comes hard and hot between them, painting his and Jensen’s stomachs with long white stripes as a cry of pleasure is ripped from his throat.  
  
“God, you’re beautiful,” Jensen whispers, kissing Jared fiercely as he swells even larger and then comes, hips pumping erratically into Jared as he rides out the aftershocks of his own orgasm, another wave cresting through him as Jensen’s seed spills into him.  
  
Jared holds him tight, running his hands over Jensen’s heated skin, scraping his fingertips through the Alpha’s sweaty hair as he moans and shudders over Jared.  Jensen relaxes onto him as he comes down slowly, turning his head to rest on Jared’s shoulder as Jared continues to hold the Alpha, Jensen’s cock still giving small twitches as he continues to pump Jared full of his come.  
  
“You okay?” Jensen asks as Jared feels his alpha’s pounding heartbeat begin to return to normal.  
  
“More than,” Jared replies, placing a gentle kiss on the top of Jensen’s head.  “You?”  
  
“I’m perfect,” he answers, voice rough and low.  
  
“So…,” Jared begins awkwardly.  “How long until…?”  
  
“Uh, twenty minutes or so,” Jensen responds.  “It’s going to be a little gross.  So, sorry for that in advance.”  
  
“I think it’s kind of hot,” Jared admits.  And he really does.  His spent cock gives a feeble jerk at the idea of his mate filling him with his come.  It’s dirty as hell, but he doesn’t really care.  It makes him feel… right.  
  
“I know this is a bad time for conversation, and we probably should have talked about this before,” Jensen starts, lifting his head to look upon Jared seriously.  “But I’ve really got to know.  Do you know your beta status?   Do you know if you’re a carrier?”  
  
“What do you--” Jared cuts himself off as his brain kicks into gear.  “Oh.  Uh, it’s possible.”  
                                                                                                   
“You don’t know?” Jensen asks.  
  
“It wasn’t ever supposed to be an issue,” Jared says.  “I was raised an alpha.  No one ever thought I’d take a beta role, and definitely not with a Pack Alpha,” he explains.  “I might have been tested for it at some point, but no one ever said anything to me and I never asked.”  
  
“You do realize what the implications are here, though.  Right?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared says, considering, thinking back on the talks he’d had with Misha and everything going on in his life, in his mind, and finds that he’s not nearly as conflicted over it as he’d originally thought.  It seems that things are in their place and he finally has the clarity, the perspective to know what how he feels about it.  “I’m good with it.”  
  
“Really?” Jensen raises an eyebrow, regarding Jared closely.  “You’re alright with me  _breeding_  you?”  
  
“I love you and you love me,” Jared says like it’s the only thing that matters, and to him it’s the only thing that does right now.  “If it happens, it happens.”  
  
“You don’t want to know for sure?” Jensen asks.  “I know we’re technically supposed to be in seclusion, but I can get a doctor here to run a test, just so we’ll know.”  
  
“If it’s important to you,” Jared agrees.  “But can I shower first?”  
  
“Of course,” Jensen nods.  
  
Jensen’s knot has gone down enough for them to separate, so he pulls out slowly, soft green eyes locked on Jared’s face the entire time.  It’s uncomfortable, and when Jensen finally slips free Jared’s left with an empty feeling that he finds he doesn’t like.  It’s impractical, but somewhere back in his animal brain, he wishes he and Jensen could stay tied all the time.   
  
Jared gets up before those thoughts can delay them any further, and he can feel the Alpha’s eyes on him the entire way to the bathroom.  He turns on the shower and steps in when it’s warm enough to his liking, mulling over the idea of pups with Jensen.  
  
The more Jared thinks about it, the more he kind of wants it.  The thought of carrying his alpha’s pups makes him hot inside, makes him want Jensen to hold him down and breed him thoroughly again and again and again, until it takes, even if it’s statistically unlikely until he goes into heat-- _if_  he goes into heat.  And it might be the tail end of the mating fever and the euphoria of being knotted for the first time talking, but he certainly meant it when he said he was good with carrying.   
  
“Hey, mind if I join you?” Jensen asks, sliding the door to the shower open slightly.  
  
“Sure,” Jared smiles, stepping back and giving Jensen enough room to squeeze in, not that the shower is particularly small or anything.  
  
“What’s on your mind?” Jensen asks, slipping under the spray as Jared watches him.  “You’ve got that look on your face that you get when you’re lost in your head.”  
  
“Oh,” Jared says, giving his head a slight shake.  “I was just thinking about my status.”  
  
“And?” Jensen prompts, reaching for the soap and a wash cloth.  
  
“Is that something you want?” Jared asks.  
  
“I want you,” Jensen answers, soaping up the washcloth and moving toward him, and Jared lets him, smiling fondly as his mate cleans him.  A guy could get used to this.  
  
“But what about kids?” Jared asks.  “I mean, do you want pups?  And what if I can’t give them to you?”  
  
“I do,” Jensen says, eyes rising to meet Jared’s.  “I do want kids.  But nothing will change between you and me.  I’d rather have just you for the rest of my life if you’re not a carrier.”  
  
“But you’d like me to be,” Jared says.  
  
“No matter what, Jared, we’ll be okay,” Jensen says seriously, stepping into Jared’s space and tilting his face up to his beta.  “I made a promise to you, and nothing is going to change that.”  
  
“But you want kids,” Jared argues.  
  
“I do, and if that’s something you want too there are other ways we can make it happen,” Jensen says.  “You don’t have to bear them for them to be ours.”  
  
“But what if I want to?” Jared asks as Jensen washes and rinses before Jared can even think about returning the favor himself.  
  
“Do you?” Jensen inquires, green eyes going dark and unreadable as he shuts the water off and grabs them each a towel.  
  
“I’m not sure,” Jared answers honestly, drying off and stepping out behind Jensen.  “I never really considered it an option before, but I’m not against it.  I’d do it for you.”  
  
“I don’t want you to do it out of duty to me,” Jensen protests quickly.  
  
“No, no.  It’s not like that, Jen,” Jared assures him, smiling warmly as he catches Jensen’s eyes, trying to let him know that this is something he never wanted before Jensen.  “But we don’t even know if it’s a possibility yet.  Let’s wait until then to have this talk, okay?”  
  
“Okay,” Jensen concedes, pulling Jared down to steal a soft kiss.  
  
“The doctor is here,” Jensen announces and Jared can feel the nervous energy coming off of his mate.  “You don’t have to do this,” Jensen offers, and Jared knows he can’t hide his unease from the Alpha any more than Jensen can from Jared.  “I can tell her to go away and we can just--”  
  
“No, it’s fine,” Jared stops him.  “Besides, the anticipation is going to eat you alive.  We both need to know.”  
  
“You’re sure?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared replies, certain that this is the right thing to do.  
  
“All right,” Jensen nods in agreement.  “Just remember, nothing she can say will change how I feel about you.”  
  
“I know,” Jared smiles, reaching out for his mate.  Jensen steps in close and gives Jared a gentle kiss before they break apart again.  “Shall we?” Jared asks, tugging Jensen through the house when the Alpha gives him his silent consent.  
  
When they get to the sitting room a dark-haired beta is waiting for them.  She introduces herself as Doctor Kim Rhodes, and Jared’s a little surprised, but in a good way.  He’s heard of her.  She’s actually got quite the reputation in the werewolf medical community for making several advancements with her research.  Misha talks about her all the time, says she’s the best.  But then again, Jensen would only want the best for his mate.  They greet and she gives him a quick handshake with his alpha’s permission before sitting them both down and getting out a small variety of tools.  
  
“So,” she begins.  “You’re looking to see what your beta status is.”  
  
“Yep,” Jared answers with a nervous smile that feels more forced than anything.  
  
“We’ll see what we can do,” she smiles back, hers more warm and genuine.  “You’re still in a mating fever, I presume?” she asks.  
  
Jared feels Jensen bristle next to him and he reaches out to grasp his mate’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly.  By all rights, they should be in seclusion for at least a week, working through the mating period that is afforded all newly mated pairs.  It is a time to learn their new partner and consummate the bond thoroughly.  Having Dr. Rhodes here is a disruption of how things are supposed to go, and despite Jensen having made the suggestion, it obviously still bothers the alpha wolf inside of him.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared admits.  “Have been off and on since I met him.  We’ve been keeping it under control with silver.”  
  
“The Alpha too?” she asks, eyes a little wide at Jared’s confession.  
  
“Yes,” Jared answers, allowing Jensen to maintain his silence.  
  
“A beta’s typical reaction to their true mate is pretty strong,” Dr. Rhodes begins.  “But after that initial urge to mate passes, it usually fades to allow the alpha and beta to court properly, which almost always leads to a marking,” she explains.  “For you to have gone into a fever strong enough to need silver, though, it’s very rare, even for carrier betas, but it’s a good sign,” she assures them.  
  
“I’ve discovered that a lot of things about me are rare,” Jared rolls his eyes.  It’s not a surprise.  “I’m the beta son of a Pack Alpha that has mated with another Pack Alpha.  That stuff doesn’t just happen everyday.”  
  
“Very much not,” Dr. Rhodes agrees.  “Shall we get to it then?”  
  
“So, what do you need me to do?” Jared asks.  
  
“Normally, a male pup is blood typed at a certain age if he has failed to show signs of being an alpha, like aggression, being territorial, and the formation of a knot,” she states.  “Some develop late, so I can understand how a Pack Alpha would not want to cause a scandal by having his son beta tested.”  
  
“It’s not like anyone ever suspected,” Jared says.  “I had to fake it in public all the time.  They encouraged me to be rowdy and out of line and my father pretended to be so proud of his indisputably  _alpha_  son,” he grits out, still bitter about being forced to pretend to be something he wasn’t.   
  
He feels soothed, though, seconds later as Jensen turns into him, nuzzling him and comforting him, whispering how perfect he thinks Jared is and how much he loves him while Dr. Rhodes averts her eyes, pretending that the floor is suddenly very fascinating.  Jared collects himself, pushing it all back down and then continues.   
  
“But that’s all over now,” he sighs as Jensen pulls back, allowing Jared his space again, but remaining close.  “So, we need some blood?”  
  
“Just a little,” she answers.  “There are two tests we’ll run because one can trip a false positive, but they won’t take very long at all,” she states, selecting a small digital device from the table.  “May I have your hand?” she requests, holding her hand out.  He nods, placing his large hand in her small one, allowing her to maneuver him until she places the device over his finger.  “This’ll only hurt a little bit,” she says.  “It’s a bit like getting your blood sugar checked.”  
  
She presses a button and he gives a slight jump of surprise when the device pricks his finger and then starts to light up as it processes his blood.  
  
“That’s it?” Jared asks.  
  
“I told you it was easy,” she smiles at him.  “Now, lay back and pull your shirt up,” she commands.  “The next one is an ultrasound, so we can see what you’ve got going on in there.”  
  
“You want to see if I have a… a…” Jared sputters, laying down on the couch and pulling his shirt up to his armpits as he gives Jensen a pleading look.  
  
“What was the blood for?” Jensen asks, finally speaking and stopping Jared from finishing what was proving to be a very awkward question that everyone seems happier to have dodged.  
  
“The blood will determine his hormone levels and if he has the right ones present to be receptive to your seed, Alpha,” she explains.  “There are a couple of possibilities of what we’ll find here today, and we need to see what’s happening on several different levels for me to be able to give you an accurate status.”  
  
“What are the options we’re looking at here?” Jensen asks.  
  
“If he lacks dual reproductive organs, he’s a standard breeder beta, plain and simple no matter what his blood says.  If he has the right hormones present and dual reproductive organs, then he’s a carrier beta.  Both have been known to go into mating fever when they encounter compatible male alphas; however, a breeder will even out after being marked and a carrier will begin to come into heat in cycles,” she says, plugging in her portable ultrasound and slicking up the sensor.  “A breeder, though, we all know won’t be able to carry, no matter what.”  
  
“ _Jen_ ,” Jared gasps at the idea, panic threatening to seize him and wide eyes flying to his stomach and then Jensen’s face.  Now that it’s a distinct possibility, he doesn’t want it.  It makes his heart hurt to think that he might not be able to carry the Alpha’s pups.   
  
“It’s all right,” Jensen assures him.   
  
“But what if I am?  I know you said… but you  _can’t_  have a mate that can’t carry for you,” Jared shakes his head.  “A Pack Alpha can’t be with… I’d be no better than an omega.”  
  
“It’s too late for that,” Jensen says.  “And I don’t care.  I’ll love you no matter what.”  
  
“Ready?” Dr. Rhodes asks, holding the sensor in one hand as she eyes them both cautiously.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen answers for them both, watching with sharp eyes as she lowers the sensor to Jared’s stomach.   
  
He gasps and jumps under the cold device as she moves it over him, her kind eyes darting back and forth between her tablet and Jared.  Her face is neutral, Jared notices, and not even her scent gives anything away.   
  
“Well, Jared,” she begins, taking the sensor away and pulling his shirt back down.  “You’ve definitely got the stuff.”  
  
“I do?” he asks, sitting back up.  
  
“Yep,” she replies, plugging in the blood tester to her tablet.  The screen lights up quickly with colors and charts as the results are calculated and she smiles warmly at them.  “Your gene panel looks normal and your hormone levels are through the roof, Jared,” she says.  “Congratulations.  With the amount of progesterone you’re putting out, I’ve got no doubts that you’re a carrier beta, and a very receptive one at that.”  
  
He’s a carrier.  He feels so relieved that his stomach churns, making him want to throw up.  And then Jensen takes his hand and everything slows down again and he focuses on his alpha, on their connection, and it makes him feel safe.  
  
“There are a few things we should probably go over while I’m still here,” she offers, gaining Jared’s attention again.  
  
“Okay,” he agrees.  
  
“Based on how high your hormone levels are, I would expect a pregnancy very soon if you and the Alpha have regular matings,” Dr. Rhodes states.  “In the meantime, once your heats start, they can be managed through low concentrations of silver or seclusion with your mate, and they can come pretty randomly for a few months until you level out or until you’re pregnant, so don’t be too surprised by them at first.  Unless you want me to prescribe you suppressants,” she suggests.  “They’ll keep your heat from coming and even out your hormone levels so you won’t feel so out of control.  They’ll also keep you from becoming pregnant, if that’s something you and the Alpha are interested in.”  
  
Jared looks to Jensen then, asking him silently what it is he wants.  Jensen just shrugs in return and gives him a little smile.  
  
“It’s your choice,” Jensen says.  
  
“I think we’ll take our chances for now,” Jared says.  “And if it happens…”  
  
“We’ll keep you on it if comes to it,” Jensen says, completing Jared’s thoughts.  
  
“Thank you for the honor, Alpha,” she responds.   
  
“We wouldn’t ask anyone else, Doctor,” Jensen says.  
  
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Jared adds.  
  
“I know you’ll do well, Jared,” Dr. Rhodes says.  “You’re a kind, nurturing, strong wolf.  You’ll bear your alpha’s children well.  I’m sure of it.”  
  
“As am I,” Jensen agrees, giving Jared’s hand a squeeze.  “Thank you for coming out,” he addresses Dr. Rhodes, standing as she packs her things.  
  
“It was my pleasure, Alpha,” she says.  “It’s the least I could do, and I wish you both good luck,” she smiles as they walk her to the front door.  “Don’t hesitate to call me if you have any further questions.  I’d be happy to talk to both of you any time.”  
  
And then they’re alone and Jared can only think of one thing he wants.  
  
“So,” Jared begins, sidling up to Jensen as they stand there in the foyer.  “Want to take your beta to bed and  _breed_  him good and hard?” he asks, pulling Jensen to him by his belt loops and groaning as he feels the press of Jensen’s erection in his jeans, a hot and hard line against Jared’s hip.  “Because that’s all I’ve really wanted for the last few minutes—you stuffing me with your cock, knotting me deep, and filling me up with your come,” he says, gasping as Jensen’s hands close around his waist, holding him tight as he rubs his nose along Jared’s collarbone and up his neck.  
  
Not but a second later, Jensen growls deep and shoves Jared into the wall, pressing into Jared as he widens his stance to allow the Alpha to grind up into him.  He moans as Jensen pulls their mouths together in a hard clash of lips and teeth.  Jared loves how Jensen feels against him, how soft his lips are, how warm his body is.  
  
“Need you in me,” Jared pants against Jensen’s mouth, rutting against his mate shamelessly.  
  
“Bed,” Jensen says, pulling him down the hall, both of them shedding their clothes and barely making it to the bed before the Alpha loses control.  
  
And Jared loves every second of it.  
  
They’re both stripped bare, having left a trail from the front of the house to the bedroom.  Now Jensen’s over him, rubbing their cocks together and using the pre-come steadily leaking from his cock as lubrication.  
  
“Gonna fuck you hard,” Jensen promises into Jared’s skin, teeth and tongue brushing across every spot that makes Jared writhe and beg and buck against his mate.  “Never gonna let you leave my bed.”  
  
“Please,” Jared gasps, groaning as Jensen slides two fingers deep into his body, the lingering mating fever and their fucking from earlier that morning having left him open and pliant and ready for his Alpha.  
  
“Turn over,” Jensen commands, hands gently guiding Jared to his hands and knees.  
  
Jared turns his ass up to Jensen, feeling wide open and exposed, but a moment later, he feels Jensen over him, hands reverent where they caress his skin, down his back and over his sides.  And then the blunt head of Jensen’s cock presses into his aching hole, sliding in easily as Jared pushes back, meeting him halfway.  
  
“Fuck,” Jared groans as Jensen bottoms out, finally feeling full and satisfied.  
  
And then Jensen begins to move, starting slowly with a few gentle thrusts before taking Jared’s hips in his hands and fucking into him hard and deep.  Jared drops to the mattress, arms unwilling to hold him up and he fists the sheets instead, twisting the fabric and shuddering, moaning uncontrollably every time Jensen’s cock strokes over his prostate. He starts to feel the knot of Jensen’s cock grow and relaxes into it almost instinctively, pressing back and then crying out, calling his alpha’s name as he’s knotted again, taking it more easily this time.  
  
Jensen drops down over Jared, hips grinding in small circles as he ties them together, bracing himself against the mattress with a hand on either side of Jared’s head.  Jared can hardly breathe through the spine-tingling pleasure of having his mate’s knot deep within him again, his jaw dropped open in bliss and his spine bowed as he whimpers and comes all over the sheets.  
  
He feels fuller as he clenches tight around Jensen, triggering his mate’s orgasm as his spent cock gives a final twitch and Jensen begins to come.  The Alpha flexes into Jared a few times, groaning low into his back and muttering his name over and over again, and then he pulls them both to lay on their sides, arranging them so they can recover comfortably as Jensen continues to come, pumping Jared full of his seed.  
  
He can tell when the all-consuming euphoria of his mate’s orgasm subsides, Jensen’s lips gentle and loving on the back of his neck as he drags a hand over Jared’s hard, flat stomach.  Jared knows what Jensen’s thinking, sliding his hand over the Alpha’s as he relaxes back into him, content, his body and mind buzzing with the satisfaction of having mated with his alpha again.  
  
“I love you, Jared,” Jensen murmurs into the damp skin of his neck.  
  
“I love you too,” Jared answers.

* * *

Jared’s never been this happy before.  He’s never felt so content, so wanted, so cherished, so accepted.  He and Jensen spent an entire week in bed, Jensen calling in for both of them and making sure their schedules were clear.  They’d received several flower arrangements and congratulatory cards at Jensen’s house from those who knew about the mating, including a fruit basket and a singing telegram from Misha and a couple of delivered meals from Jensen’s parents.  
  
But now the honeymoon is technically over and they have to reenter the real world.  
  
“I don’t want to go to work,” Jared whines, leaning into Jensen at the front door as his alpha fixes his tie.  
  
“I know,” Jensen smiles up at him, smoothing his hands down Jared’s chest.  
  
“One more?” Jared asks, sliding his arms around Jensen and pulling him in tight.  
  
“One more,” Jensen agrees.  “And then you have to go, and so do I.”  
  
Jared doesn’t reply.  Instead, he closes the distance between them and kisses his mate, licking into him and moaning as Jensen takes control, pushing him back into the door and grinding up into him just hard enough to tease.  Jensen backs away from him with a soft kiss and a nip and smiles at him slow and lazy.   
  
“I’ve got to stop that or we’re both going to be late,” Jensen says, fixing Jared’s appearance again.  “You going to be okay?”  
  
“I’m good, Jen,” Jared insists, unable to keep his hands off of Jensen for more than a few seconds.  “I’m a big boy.  I think I’ll be able to keep it together until this evening.”  
  
“I don’t think I’m going to make it to lunch without you,” Jensen confesses, stealing another kiss as Jared opens the door.  “God, I don’t know how I managed to make it through each day before we were mated.  I could barely control myself.”  
  
“The feeling was mutual,” Jared admits.  “But you’ve got me now, and if you’re a good boy and go to work, you might get lucky tonight.”  
  
“Might?” Jensen arches an eyebrow at him.  
  
“Okay.  You caught me,” Jared grins.  “But we’re going to have to get back out into the world at some point, Jensen.  Might as well be today.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen agrees.  “You sure you don’t want to come work for me?”  
  
“Like you’d get any work done,” Jared laughs, imaging how working for Jensen would really be.  He’d put good money on him spending most of his day bent over a desk, hanging off of Jensen’s knot.  Which isn’t such a bad thing once he thinks about it.  He shakes his head to rid himself of the image, even though it’s all he’ll be able to think about for the rest of the day now.  “The sooner you go to work, the sooner you can come home and have your way with your beta,” Jared offers Jensen.  
  
“Fine, you win,” Jensen says, grabbing his keys.  “Love you.”  
  
“Love you, too,” Jared returns, kissing Jensen once more before letting him go.   
  
He exits through the front door, Jensen through the garage, and locks up, waving at Jensen as he drives by in his stupidly nice spaceship of a car and Jared goes to his not-so-nice, not-so-new car parked on the street.  It’s their first day away from each other since their mating and he knows it’s only been less than five minutes, but he already misses Jensen.  It’s times like these that Jared wishes they were back several centuries ago, when werewolves roamed the wild and had their own societies separate from the humans.  He’d have never had to fight his attraction for Jensen so hard.  But then again, he’d have probably been killed off by his own family for being a beta.  Or given omega status and shunned.   
  
But if they’d found each other, they would have been able to mate uninterrupted and remain by each others’ sides without jobs or anything getting in the way.  And Jared longs for that.  He has his alpha, but the beta in him needs to be there with Jensen, wants to make sure his needs are being met.  He knows Jensen has enough money to never work ever again, that they could just stay in bed all day and do whatever they want, but Jensen likes being a productive member of society.  He likes running his company and helping his clients and community, and Jared understands because he likes having a purpose beyond his mate as well.  
  
He never thought he’d have something like this, that he’d ever find a mate, and now that he knows what it’s like, now that he has it, he doesn’t know how he ever thought he was alright without.  He reaches along their bond, feeling Jensen out long-distance for the first time since they created it, and smiles when he feels his mate reach back, reassuring him and wrapping him up in his warmth. 

 

  
* * *

  
“Did you have a good day?” Jensen asks casually, grabbing them a couple of beers as Jared loosens his tie.   
  
The day was interminably long, spent mostly waiting and watching the clock until it was time to go and see his mate again.  
  
“It was all right,” Jared shrugs.  “Better now.”  
  
“You stole my line,” Jensen smiles, popping the top off and handing Jared a bottle.  “I almost cracked at lunch.”  
  
“Oh?” Jared asks, taking a long pull off his bottle.   
  
“Yeah.  I had my keys in my hand and I was staring at my car, trying to figure out if I could make myself go back to work, or if I was really going to drive to your office and steal you for the rest of the day,” Jensen says.  “It took a lot of willpower to walk back inside.”  
  
“I’m proud of you and your self control,” Jared gives him a smile.  “And to be honest, I was having the same problem.  I can’t help it.  The draw is almost too much to resist.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen agrees, putting his beer down and fixing his stare on Jared.  “Come here,” he orders quietly.  
  
Jared does as Jensen asks, putting his bottle down carefully and going to Jensen.  The pull he’s been feeling all day abates the second Jensen’s hands are on him again.  The buzz under his skin goes quiet and is replaced by a sense of contentment that turns into a slow rolling heat as Jensen presses against him and noses the collar of his shirt.   
  
“Jensen,” Jared whispers, gripping the counter as his knees threaten to give out.  
  
“Bed?” Jensen asks, voice low and rough and breath hot against his skin.  
  
“Hell yeah,” Jared agrees, arching into Jensen.  
  
“Let’s go then,” Jensen says, taking Jared by the hand and leading him into their bedroom.  
  
Jensen takes his time, undressing Jared slowly and methodically.  Jared watches Jensen as he unbuttons his shirt, slipping it from Jared’s shoulders and dropping it to the floor.  His fingers go to Jared’s belt next, sliding it through his belt loops with a strong pull, letting it hit the floor with a clink that resonates in the quiet of the room.  
  
“I love you,” Jared says, Jensen’s bright green eyes snapping to his at his soft words.   
  
“I know,” Jensen says, pushing Jared back onto the bed.  
  
Jared moves back until he’s all the way on the soft mattress and watches as Jensen strips himself in barely any time at all, throwing his clothes haphazardly around the room.  He crawls over Jared once he’s completely naked, hovering over him on all fours as he drags his nose along Jared’s body, scenting him.  Jared squirms under the attention, gasping when Jensen grazes his sensitive skin, tickling him lightly.  
  
“Hold still for me,” Jensen commands, pulling back and unfastening Jared’s pants, pulling them off with his boxers, leaving them both naked.  _Finally_.  “Look at you.  You’re so good,” he compliments, pushing himself between Jared’s thighs and settling against him.  “I’ve been waiting all day to come home to this, to you.”  
  
“Me too,” Jared agrees, reaching for the Alpha.  
  
Jensen lets out a soft growl and catches Jared’s hands, pinning them next to his head.   
  
“No, no,” Jensen says.  “You just lay back and relax and let me take good care of you.”  
  
Jensen kisses him then, slow and deep, and he flexes his hips into Jared’s, brushing their cocks together.  It’s just to tease, though, Jared finds out, as Jensen withdraws the contact almost as quickly as he made it.  He moves his mouth from Jared’s, down his jaw and neck, giving his mating mark a soft lick that makes Jared twitch and moan.   
  
“Does that feel good?” Jensen asks, kissing the mark he left when he claimed Jared.  
  
“Oh god, yes,” Jared confesses breathlessly.   
  
“Tell me,” Jensen commands, dragging his lips across the scar as Jared tries to get his brain to function.  
  
“It’s amazing,” he manages.  “It’s so intense, almost too much.”  
  
“Could you come from this?” Jensen asks.  
  
“I don’t know,” Jared says.  “But I’d rather come with your knot in me.”  
  
“I can agree with that,” Jensen’s voice deepens, words sounding gravelly and warm.  “Is that what you want?”  
  
“It’s what I’ve been dying for all day,” Jared states, feeling the ache for Jensen’s cock sharpen.   
  
“I can tell,” Jensen says, lowering his face to Jared’s chest again and licking and sucking at his heated skin.  “The way you smell and taste, it’s a good thing we work in different parts of the city or this day would have turned out a lot differently.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” Jared asks.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen confirms.  
  
“Tell me,” Jared echoes Jensen’s request, eyes following Jensen, tracking his every move.  
  
“I’d have gotten to you somehow, whether it was calling you to my office or marching into yours and stealing you away, I’d have made sure we were together,” Jensen begins as he kisses and sucks his way down Jared’s body.  “And then… well, I’m glad we’re home because I don’t know if I’d have had the self control to get somewhere private.  We’d have maybe made it to a bathroom.  Maybe a closet.  Maybe out to my car.  Somewhere.  Or maybe I’d have been so far gone on your scent I’d have bent you over your desk and knotted you right there.”  
  
Jared groans at that thought, at the idea of Jensen taking him in front of all of his coworkers, consequences be damned.  It’s hot, and Jared can’t help but think of how incredibly satisfied he’d be, knowing that there would be absolutely no doubt as to who had claim over him and who it was Jensen belonged to.  But he’s selfish, and as pleasing as it would be, he doesn’t want to share that side of his mate with anyone.  
  
“Your office,” Jared whispers.  “We’d have made it to your office.”  
  
“Mmm, I can just see you bent over that big mahogany desk I have,” Jensen continues.  “I don’t think I would have had it in me to take my time with you, at least not like I should,” he admits.  “I’d have opened you up, though, nice and easy, like this,” he says, sliding a finger into Jared.  
  
Jared gasps and arches down into Jensen’s hand, body shuddering and begging for more as he feels himself start to get wet for his alpha.   
  
“And you’d moan and writhe on my fingers, begging me for more,” Jensen says.  “So I’d give you another.”  
  
Jared knows he should be embarrassed by the sounds he’s making, but he can’t help it, and it seems that Jensen enjoys them so he can’t really bring himself to care much either.  When Jensen slides that second finger in, though, he whines, wanting more, wanting Jensen’s knot, but knowing he has to make do with this, has to see where Jensen’s going to take this.   
  
“Jensen, more, please,” Jared asks, relaxing into Jensen’s touch, trying to be a good beta and take everything his alpha gives him.  
  
“Anything you want,” Jensen responds, slipping a third finger in that has Jared arching off the bed.  “You’re so beautiful like this,” he says.  “Are you ready for me, Jared?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared nods emphatically.  _God, yes_.  
  
“Good,” Jensen flashes him a quick smile as he surges back up and kisses Jared again.   
  
Jensen pulls Jared’s legs around his waist and then positions himself, sliding his fingers out and replacing them with the tip of his cock before Jared even has a chance to notice they’re gone.  It seems like an eternity before Jensen’s pushing in, seeming to savor every inch he takes as he takes his time.  Jared just wishes he would hurry the fuck up and get on with it already.  He feels like he’s been waiting for days.  
  
As Jensen bottoms out, they both groan, happy and content to be joined together again.  But the relief is only temporary and that burning need for Jensen comes back.  Jared pushes up against the Alpha and Jensen flexes back into him, starting a slow, tortuous rhythm, giving Jared just enough to take the edge off but not enough to find release.  
  
Not that he wants to just yet.  He wants Jensen’s knot buried in him well and good, preferably with Jensen coming before Jared finds release.  Jensen’s thrusts pick up speed and Jared can feel the sense of urgency building in his mate, mirroring his own.  The Alpha changes the angle, makes a few adjustments, and hits Jared’s prostate.  The effect is instant, Jared bucking into Jensen hard and moaning like it’s killing him.  Jensen grunts in approval and continues his hard pace, making Jared feel every single thrust of his hips.  
  
“Gonna tie you,” Jensen warns him seconds before Jared feels his knot getting larger.  
  
“Please,” Jared begs, relaxing into Jensen’s movements.  “I want it.”  
  
In a handful more thrusts, Jensen’s knot slides in, locking them together.  Jared can’t take it anymore, back bowing hard and head tossed back in a silent cry of pleasure as he comes, streaking his stomach with his release which seems to go on forever as Jensen’s knot on his prostate drags it out and milks him for everything he has.  It’s exhausting, but wholly satisfying, and now all he needs is for Jensen to come.   
  
“Come for me, Jensen,” Jared pants as he comes down and Jensen continues to use his sated and relaxed body.   
  
Jensen’s knot is big, and getting bigger as Jensen inches closer and closer to climax.  Jared holds him close as Jensen rocks into him, whispering to Jensen how much he loves him and how badly he needs his knot, needs him to come.  And then Jensen jerks over him, scraping his teeth across Jared’s shoulder as he starts to come with a soft groan.   
  
“Love you,” Jensen mutters as he collapses on Jared.   
  
“I know, baby,” Jared smiles into Jensen’s sweaty hairline as he holds the Alpha, stroking his fingers over his mate’s heated skin.   
  
Jensen pulls them both on their sides as they wait for his knot to go down.  Jensen shudders every now and then as another spurt of come goes into Jared, and Jared just holds and pets his mate through it all.  It’s a little funny, the feeling he has in his gut, knowing now that any time could be the time they conceive, even if it’s a statistical improbability if he’s in heat.  
  
“We’re going to have to make a formal announcement soon,” Jensen sighs as his knot finally deflates enough for him to slip out of Jared’s body, pulling Jared from his thoughts.  “I’ll have to present you to the Council and then, eventually, to the Pack.”  
  
“Oh,” Jared responds, thoughtfully.  He didn’t think about all that mess.  “If it has to be done, then is has to be done.  When would you like to do it?”  
  
“As soon as possible,” Jensen answers.  “The sooner you’re acknowledged by our Pack, the better.”  
  
“Can we wait a few more days?” Jared asks.  “I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet.”  
  
“If I’m being one hundred percent honest, I’m not ready for that yet either,” Jensen says with a smile, leaning over and kissing him softly.  “And I’m more than happy keeping you all for myself for a little bit longer.”  
  
“So selfish,” Jared teases.  
  
“You have no idea,” Jensen grins and pins him with another kiss.

 

  
* * *

  
A few days later, Jared gets home first from work.   
  
It’s not unusual, but more often than not, Jensen’s on the phone racing him, each giving a play by play of how close they are to the house.  Today, though, Jared knows Jensen has some stuff to take care of, business things that are going to keep him later than either would prefer.  Which is why Jared wants to surprise Jensen with dinner.  
He’s got it all planned out—some mac and cheese, a couple of burgers, and some beer or coke or whatever Jensen wants.  
  
The water’s barely started to boil when his phone vibrates on the counter.  One quick glance lets him know it’s his mate and he picks it up, cradling the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he greets Jensen with a soft “hey.”  
  
“Hey,” Jensen responds and Jared can feel the tension of being apart loosen at hearing his voice.   
  
“What’s up?” Jared asks, dumping the entire box of pasta into the boiling water and stirring it around a little.  
  
“I just got off the phone with Chris and thought I should give you a heads up that he and Steve are coming over for dinner tonight,” Jensen says.  
  
“Uh, shit.  Really?” Jared asks as he stares at the pasta, spoon in hand.  “I, uh, I’ve already started some macaroni and cheese.”  
  
“That’s cool,” Jensen says.  
  
“No, it’s not,” Jared groans.  “It’s boxed Velveeta mac and cheese.  It’s for eating in your underwear when you’re all alone and marathoning some guilty pleasure show on Netflix.  Not for company.”  
Jensen laughs and Jared continues to scowl at the bowling pasta.  
  
“They’re my oldest friends.  If we can’t eat mac and cheese with them, then what kind of friends are they?” Jensen asks.  “Look, I know them, and so long as there’s food and it’s edible, they’ll be happy.  I promise.  Mac and cheese is perfect.  They’re not that fancy.  Plus, I think Chris almost murdered someone for eating his Velveeta in college, so it’s going to be fine.”  
  
“If you say so,” Jared agrees reluctantly, even though he is quite a bit relieved that he doesn’t have to toss out the pasta now.  
  
“I do,” Jensen insists.  “And if they say anything about it, I’ll kick their asses.  You’re perfect, your mac and cheese is perfect, and I love you, okay?”  
  
“Say it again,” Jared requests breathlessly, smiling, elated.  He’s pretty sure he’ll never get used to Jensen telling him he loves him.  
  
“I love you, Jay,” Jensen says softly, intensely.   
  
“Come home,” Jared says.  “Now.”  
  
“I’m on my way,” Jensen promises.  
  
Ten minutes later, Jensen’s walking through the door and Jared pins him to it, kissing him deep and dirty.  Jensen grunts into the kiss and brings his hands to Jared’s hips, fingers flexing tight as Jared slides his tongue into Jensen’s mouth, tasting as much of him as he can get.  Jared rocks into Jensen, rubbing their groins together as he tilts his head to get a better angle.   
  
“Baby, slow down,” Jensen murmurs against Jared’s lips as they part briefly.  
  
“Don’t wanna,” Jared says, diving back in for another kiss as he feels a flare of hot want inside of him.   
  
“Chris and Steve are going to be here soon,” Jensen states but doesn’t do anything to stop Jared from mouthing his way down the Alpha’s neck.  “As much as I’d love to take you to bed and tie you right now, and believe me when I say I really want to, we just don’t have the time.”  
  
“Dammit, why do you have to go and be all logical?” Jared asks with a pout.  “Are you sure we can’t make them wait a little bit?” he asks, running a hand over Jensen’s rather obvious bulge.   
  
“Tempting.  Very,  _very_  tempting,” Jensen says, eyes going dark when he drops his eyes to Jared’s erection.   
  
“I know you want it,” Jared says, stepping back and running his hands over his own body, lips tilting up at the corner when he sees a bright flare of green in Jensen’s eyes.  There’s a hunger there that he knows is taking all of Jensen’s strength to fight.  “How about I blow you?”  
  
“How the fuck are you even real?” Jensen groans and Jared knows he’s got him.  
  
He sinks to his knees right there in the foyer, right in front of Jensen who’s gone completely still, mouth slack and eyes wide.  Jared can feel them on him as he leans forward and buries his nose in the skin above the waistband of Jensen’s expensive slacks.  The Alpha’s smell is rich and strong here, making Jared’s fingers tremble with want and anticipation as he reaches up and unbuckles Jensen’s belt and makes quick work of his pants.   
  
He pulls Jensen’s pants and boxer briefs down to his knees and looks up to find Jensen’s gaze locked on him, the Alpha seemingly frozen in place as he waits to see what Jared is going to do to him.   
  
Jared looks back down at his cock, his long, thick, gorgeous cock that he’s done so many things to Jared with, that he’s all but driven him crazy with.  And now it’s Jared’s turn.   
  
Jared takes his time, taking hold of Jensen’s heavy erection and stroking it slowly, watching it twitch and grow harder in his hand.  When he flicks his tongue out to the tip, Jensen pulls in a sharp breath and a bead of precome slips out, and, well, Jared just can’t resist.  He laps the precome from Jensen’s cock and then sucks the head into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and pulling off with a slight pop and a kiss.  
“Oh, fuck,” Jensen groans, fists clenching by his sides, Jared notices.  
  
Jared dives back in, sucking Jensen down as far as he can without choking himself.  He keeps his lips tight around the Alpha as he moves up and down his shaft, sliding his tongue along the underside and licking the head when he gets to the tip.  He gets his hands on Jensen as well, one working the base of Jensen’s cock where his knot is starting to form, and the other squeezing Jensen’s hip, encouraging him to move a little.   
  
Jensen eventually gives in, flexing his hips in tiny thrusts and Jared loves every minute of it.  He glances up to see Jensen’s head tipped back, his mouth open as he pants and moans softly.  He makes quite the scene with his once crisp dress shirt wrinkled and shoved up to reveal a hint of the Alpha’s abs, his jacket flung open wide, and his tie skewed.  Jared hums in approval around Jensen’s cock and gets a fist in his hair for it.  And damn if that’s not what has him taking his hand from Jensen’s hips and pulling his own cock out, stroking it in time with each and every move Jensen makes into his mouth.  
  
“Oh god, Jared,” Jensen mutters, fingers flexing and claws scraping along his scalp as Jensen fights the urge to pull his hair.  Which Jared would not mind one fucking bit.   
  
Jared moans again and doubles his efforts as Jensen’s knot swells big and firm in his hand.  He works his hand around it as he continues to suck Jensen off, willing his alpha to come.  Jensen’s steadily losing control over himself, his thrusts becoming more and more desperate as he gets closer and closer to the edge.  Jared can sense it, can feel it as it builds inside of Jensen, as it burns along his spine, pulling him tight, so tight, and then exploding bright and hot as Jensen starts to come on Jared’s tongue.  
  
Jared shakes and shudders and tries to swallow as much as he can as he follows Jensen over the edge, coming with a strangled moan into his own hand.  He pulls off of Jensen and slumps forward, face resting against the Alpha’s hip as he tries to catch his breath.   
  
Jensen’s still coming when Jared regains control of his body, his mate shaking as he fights to remain standing.  Jared suspects the only reason he’s still upright is that he’s leaning heavily on the door and Jared for support.  Jared stands and kisses Jensen then, hand tightening around Jensen’s knot, wringing out another huge spurt of come as Jensen cries out and then whimpers into Jared’s mouth.   
  
“Too much?” Jared asks, voice sounding rough and gravelly to his own ears.  
  
“A little,” Jensen admits.  “There’s going to be a big mess to clean up.”  
  
“Yeah, I don’t care,” Jared says, kissing Jensen again.  “It was worth it.”  
  
“No argument there,” Jensen agrees with a lazy grin and dives back in.  
  
After another minute or two, they clean up, exchanging kisses and heated looks the entire time, and then Jared goes back to the mac and cheese while Jensen grills up some burgers.  
  
It’s not long after that that Steve and Chris arrive, looking flushed themselves with some rambling apologies for being late.  Neither Jensen nor Jared say anything about it, but they do exchange a glance.   
  
“Oh, whatever,” Chris side eyes Jensen when he catches them.  “Like we can’t  _smell_  exactly what you two did… what, the minute Jensen got home?  Come on, Jared practically reeks of your come.  At least we waited until we got to the car.”  
  
“That must be a record for you,” Jensen snarks back, leveling a challenging look at the Fort Worth Alpha while Jared feels himself flush a little.   
  
“If I didn’t love you,” Chris grumbles.  “Now, where’s the grill?  I need to do something manly.”  
  
“I’m not letting you fuck up my burgers,” Jensen says as he leads him out the back.  
  
“Anything I can help with?” Steve asks after they both watch their mates walk out the backdoor, bickering the entire way.  
  
“Sure,” Jared says, leading Steve to the kitchen.  “I’ve got to finish up some stuff, but if you’d set the table, that would be awesome.”  
  
Steve nods and goes to the cabinet with the dinner plates, opening the door and then glancing back at Jared.  
  
“So, how are you liking mated life?” Steve asks, taking some plates out of the cabinet and setting them on the counter.  
  
“It’s great.  Jensen’s great,” Jared grins.  “I mean, we’re not the picture of domestic bliss or anything, but--”  
  
“No, you’re  _exactly_  the picture of domestic bliss,” Steve cuts him off.   
  
“What makes you say that?” Jared asks.  
  
“What makes you say you aren’t?” Steve counters.  “Are you not completely stupid with happiness?  Are you not racing home to see him at the end of the day and finding it difficult to part with him in the morning?  Do you not think about him every moment you’re apart and long for when you’ll be able to touch him and hold him again?”  
  
“Well, yeah.  Of course,” Jared says.  “But that doesn’t make what we have perfect.”  
  
“Maybe not,” Steve concedes.  “But it’s perfect for  _you_.”  
  
“Maybe,” Jared says noncommittally.   
  
“Please don’t tell me you’re still waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Steve says.  “Don’t doubt Jensen’s conviction for a second.”  
  
“I don’t,” Jared states.  “It’s just… it’s  _me_.”  
  
“You?” Steve asks, raises an eyebrow.  
  
“There’s a lot you don’t know,” Jared says.  “Not about Jensen, but… I’m… it’s just… I’m scared that one day he’s going to wake up and realize that I’m not worth it.  And I won’t survive that.”  
  
“Do  _you_  think you’re not worth it?” Steve asks seriously, giving Jared his full attention.  
  
“Sometimes,” Jared admits quietly with a slightly embarrassed shrug.  
  
“And just who made you think  _that_?” Steve demands.  
  
“Please don’t ask me that,” Jared pleads.  It was hard enough to live through it.  He doesn’t quite know if he possesses the strength to lay this at someone else’s feet, and he’s worried.  What if they find out, what if Jensen finds out, and they decide he’s too damaged?  What if…  
  
“It’s okay,” Steve backs off.  “But whoever put that thought into your head was wrong, and there will never come a day when Jensen doesn’t worship your very existence.  You know this.  We’re forever,  _you’re_  forever, and one day you’ll believe it.  Just hang in there, Jared.  And if you ever need to talk and you don’t want to tell Jensen, I’m here for you, Chris too, and we’ll help you, but trust your mate.  Let him carry some of your burden.  You don’t have to do it by yourself.  That’s what mates are, that’s what mates do.  With Jensen, you never have to face anything alone.”  
  
“Thanks, man,” Jared says quietly, holding the other beta’s concerned gaze as warm affection for the other man spreads through him.  
  
He’s so lucky to have friends like this.  And Jensen.  He’s luckier than he deserves where his mate is concerned.  
  
“Come on,” Steve gives him a kind smile.  “Let’s go set the table and make sure those two haven’t killed each other over something stupid.”  
  
Jared smiles back and laughs because, well, he can see Jensen waving the grilling spatula at Chris from where he’s standing in the kitchen and Steve is not wrong.   
  
Dinner goes off without a hitch.  Jensen’s burgers are to die for and the mac and cheese is demolished in minutes.  Conversation flows much like at the club, only instead of feeling a bit like an outsider, Jared feels included, welcomed, accepted.  He doesn’t want to think that mating with Jensen has everything to do with it, but he’d be lying if he didn’t think that it was at least partially responsible for Chris’s newfound friendliness toward him.   
  
Now when Jared’s not out of Jensen’s territory and half terrified that the other Alpha might rip his throat out with his bare hands, he finds Chris’s particular brand of off-color, Jensen-specific humor to be quite funny.  Jensen’s too cool to be flustered much by Chris, or too accustomed to all of the incessant ragging.  Jared can tell that their ties run deep and it makes him happy that Jensen has such friends in his life and that he’s shared them with Jared.   
  
They say goodbye late, too late for Jared and Jensen to muster up the energy to do much but climb into bed together and fall asleep wrapped around each other, Jared with a soft smile and a good feeling about his new life with Jensen.

* * *

Jared gets off work early the next day, and he’s glad for it.  It’s not that he doesn’t mind a full day of work, it’s just that after a long day, all he really wants to do is get home, eat as much food as he can, and then have lots and lots of hot sex with Jensen, preferably all night long.  Although, Jensen is a responsible adult and usually makes sure they get at least six hours of good, solid, uninterrupted sleep.  Jared’s grateful for that, but still thinks sex with his mate is better.  
  
But the sleep he can abide, only because the sex with Jensen is just as hot, if not hotter than it was when they first consummated their bond.  He doesn’t really know what he expected.  It’s not usual for an alpha to lose interest in fucking their mate just because they’ve laid claim.  It’s not in their nature and it’s definitely not in their biology.  Jared knows that when Jensen catches his scent he’s just as helpless as Jared to the animal instinct that drives them to mate.  
  
Their wolves know each other and long to be together.  It’s their human natures that make them act like normal, functional members of society instead of the sex-crazed beasts they really are inside.  For their mate.  And Jared couldn’t have asked for a better mate.  Jensen accepts him as is, warts and all, and doesn’t care that Jared has no experience being a beta.  Not that it’s stopped him from allowing Jensen to take the dominant role in their relationship, at least sexually, or stopped him from taking the passive role, and he’s pretty sure that what matters in the end anyway is that they work together.  
  
“Jared Padalecki?” a man asks, approaching Jared on his way to his car and startling him from his thoughts.   
  
Jared bristles at this man, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, and he takes a whiff.  Human, but there’s nothing more than that.  Usually Jared can pick up so much more information.  There’s something off, something he’s not reading right, and it makes him nervous.  There’s definitely something wrong here.  
  
“Who wants to know?” Jared demands, feeling his hackles rise as the man gets closer.  
  
“Thought so,” the man smirks.  “Get him.”  
  
“What--” Jared is cut off as a chain wraps around his throat.  Silver.  Shit.  
  
He fights hard, lashing out and throwing at least one of his attackers off.  He’s snarling and growling, taking a swipe at anyone he can reach, but he can’t shake the guy holding the chain and the silver is draining the fight out of him, steadily weakening him and allowing his attackers to subdue him.  They force him to his knees where one of them binds his hands behind his back with silver-laced rope that itches where it rests on his wrists.  
  
“Feel better?” the man asks, nodding to another.  “Collar him.  That’ll keep him tame.”  
  
Jared growls menacingly, making his displeasure known as the silver chain is replaced with a leather collar, plated with more pure silver and strapped just tight enough that he can feel it when he swallows.  It’s enough to make him feel dizzy, a fog coming over him as it takes effect.  This is not good.  He’s powerless with so much silver working against him, stripping him of his natural defenses.  
  
“Get him into the van,” the leader orders.  “We need to move out.”  
  
As soon as the command is given, firm hands grip Jared and haul him to unsteady feet, shoving him along toward an unmarked van.  Jared can’t really fight them, so he goes with it for the moment as they drop him in a seat and restrain him with more rope.  It’s really unnecessary, especially with all the silver keeping him down, but he’s kind of flattered that they think they need so much insurance to keep him in line.  
  
“What do you want with me?” Jared asks as the van drives off nice and slow.  He’s being kidnapped—by  _humans_ —and it’s completely ridiculous.  He can’t believe this is happening to him.  He should have been paying more attention instead of daydreaming about his mate.  
  
“Your father misses you,” the leader says from the passenger seat, turning to face him.  “He wants to see you, see if he can reason with you.”  
  
“My  _father_ ,” Jared scoffs as his blood runs hot at the thought of the wolf.  _Of fucking course_  Gerald Padalecki has a hand in this.  It practically  _reeks_ of him now that he knows.  “You do realize the severity of the crime you’re committing,” he says, leveling angry eyes at the stranger.  “My Alpha will destroy you.  There won’t be a hearing or a trial before the Council.  Hell, there probably won’t even be enough left of you to bury in a shoebox when he’s done.”  
  
“We’re leaving Dallas,” the man smiles coldly.  “We’ll be out of Pack territory in an hour and in San Antonio territory before anyone’ll even notice you’re gone.  We’ll be out of your Alpha’s reach and he’ll get over it.  And once you hear your father out, you’ll have no reason to return to Dallas anyway.”  
  
“You’re wrong,” Jared snarls hotly.  “And you’ll be a dead man before the next full moon.  Mark my words, my mate will see to it.”  
  
“You have such faith in this wolf,” the man says.  “Are you sure he cares that much for you?”  
  
“Absolutely,” Jared states.   
  
“We shall see soon enough.”

 

  
* * *

  
The sun has disappeared from the sky by the time they pull onto the Padalecki Estate outside of San Antonio, splashes of magenta on the horizon bleeding into a deep purple and inky black.  Jared’s initial rage has calmed to a simmering anger, placed on the back burner for the time being in favor of looking for an opportunity to escape or get word back to Jensen.  Or even Misha.  
  
He’s pushed and shoved out of the van again and almost falls flat on his face on the gravel drive, but manages to catch himself in time, stumbling back to his feet as he’s jerked around by his captors.  And there, on the steps of the ranch house, is his father, looking just as stiff and pretentious as he was the day Jared left.  
  
“Is it really necessary to manhandle my son so?” Gerald demands.  
  
“He would not come willingly,” the leader replies, diverting his gaze as he addresses the Alpha.  
  
“Untie him, but leave the collar on,” Gerald says.  “You are not to remove that, son.  It’s for your own good.”  
  
“I fail to see how you have any say over what is or is not good for me,” Jared growls, glaring daggers at his father as one of his captors unties his wrists.  
  
“I am your Alpha!” Gerald raises his voice, everyone deferring and bowing in the face of his ire except for Jared.  “You will speak to me with more respect.”  
  
“You are  _not_  my Alpha,” Jared challenges hotly.  His father just seems amused.  
  
“You always were a difficult child,” Gerald comments with a sneer.  “Come inside.  We need to speak.”  
  
Jared doesn’t want to go.  He knows that his chances of escape drop drastically if he goes into the house.  But he’s sick of the silver and being pushed around like a criminal, so he goes, however reluctantly.  
  
“I’m obeying under protest,” Jared states loudly enough for everyone to hear.  “I don’t want any confusion that I’m a willing participant here.”  
  
“Noted,” Gerald smiles invitingly, ushering him into the house and immediately steering him down the hall.  Jared recognizes the way; it’s to his old room.  “I hear you’ve chosen a mate,” his father begins casually.  
  
“I don’t see how it’s any business of yours,” Jared snaps, jerking away as his father attempts to put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
“My  _son_  shacking up with the Dallas Pack Alpha is most certainly my business,” Gerald snarls in Jared’s ear as he crowds him into the wall, his façade of calm dropping for a brief moment.  “You do remember our bylaws, do you not?” he asks, backing off, placid and as if his sudden outburst hadn’t even occurred.  “You left without my permission, Jared.  Did you really think I wouldn’t hunt you down and bring you back?  Especially after the news of your  _mating_  had reached me?”  
  
“So this is political after all,” Jared drawls, smiling despite the situation.  
  
“This is about you sullying our blood, tarnishing our good name by being--”  
  
“A beta?  Pack Beta even?” Jared cuts him off.  “You do remember that I  _am_  a beta, and that it’s perfectly normal and even accepted by society for a beta to mate with an alpha.”  
  
“Not for you,” Gerald states.  “You are not a common wolf, and as such, you should have never taken an alpha as a mate and disgraced this family by presenting yourself as a beta,” he says through gritted teeth and Jared hopes he chokes on his words.  “Especially not with such a powerful alpha.  What were you thinking?”  
  
“How bad this would make you look?” Jared scoffs and rolls his eyes.  “It wasn’t about you.  It was about me and him and nothing else.”  
  
Gerald considers him coolly for a small amount of time, hard eyes looking over Jared in something he can only describe as disgust.  
  
“Sometimes I lie awake at night and wish that you’d been born omega,” he tells Jared, and Jared holds his breath, waiting for the punch.  “At least then I’d have been well within my rights to kill you.”  
  
And that hurts probably more than anything he’s ever said to Jared.  The disappointment in how easily his father can still hurt him, in how vulnerable he is to his childhood need of unattainable approval, takes his breath away.  
  
“If you hate me so much, then why not just kill me now?” Jared asks, half afraid that Gerald actually will.  
  
“You know the laws,” Gerald says, ice in his tone.  “And you will come back to your education sooner or later and be the alpha you were supposed to have been.  It’s only a matter of time before you see things my way,  _our_  way, and stand by your family like a good son,” he states as they approach the door to Jared’s old room.  “And then you’ll end it,” he pronounces, pushing open the door to Jared’s old room and shoving him inside.  
  
“And if I don’t?” Jared argues, shooting him another glare from over his shoulder.  
  
“Don’t doubt me, son,” Gerald assures him.  “You will.”  
  
He slams the door in Jared’s face then and bolts it, locking him inside and leaving him alone.  The first thing he does is disobey his father’s order to leave the collar on.  He brings his fingers up to where the buckle is, but immediately jerks them away, biting back a cry of pain as he feels the burn of pure silver.  He lets out a growl of frustration, knowing it’ll have to stay until someone else can take it off.  
  
Jared takes a look around his old room then, and it’s just how he remembers leaving it, not a thing out of place.  It’s almost as if the whole room was just waiting for him to come back.  Not that he ever intended to.  Not after finding himself a place to just  _be_  in Dallas.  Especially not after finding his mate in the Dallas Alpha.  He’d done his best and managed to finally put San Antonio and every bad memory there away.  
  
As he sits on the bed he remembers all of the times he was locked in here with old tomes on what the expected behavior of an alpha was as his father attempted to brainwash him into becoming one while reminding him of what a constant disappointment his _deformity_  was to the family, how he’d failed his father and his mother by being less than worthy, by being a beta.  
  
It was only when he got out of San Antonio that he realized it was never a choice, that it was how he was born, his genetic make up, and it was never really anyone’s fault.  It made him angry at first, that his father couldn’t love him like he did Jeff because Jared was _different_ , so he ran.   
  
Everything had been going so well in his life for the first time.  He had his mate and his friends, and they were just beginning to build a life together.  And now he’s here, right back where he started, under the iron fist of his tyrannical father, with pretty much zero means of escape.  He should know; he’s tried many times in the past.  He only managed to get away before with the aide of his mother, who still carries the scars of her transgression.  He wouldn’t dare ask that of her again.   
  
His only hope is Jensen.  He kicks off his shoes and pants and takes off his dress shirt, leaving himself in boxers and his undershirt, before he lies down on his old bed and concentrates on their bond.  He can’t feel Jensen at all, not even a tiny bit, the silver around his neck strong enough to nullify all of his wolf traits.  He closes his eyes and thinks about the Alpha, hoping that even if he can’t feel Jensen, he might be able to feel Jared.  He envisions his mate, his warm smile and green eyes, his rich voice and soft laugh, as he reaches out blindly for him.  He doesn’t even know if it’ll work, if Jensen’ll be able to sense him at all with the silver on.   
  
And what if he can’t?  What if the instant the silver was strapped around his neck, their link was disconnected like he’d died?  And what if Jensen thinks he’s dead?  Panic floods his system at the thought of his mate and what he might do if he thought he’d lost Jared, because Jared knows that without Jensen there’d be no reason to continue on.  He knows he’d rather be dead than live without his alpha.  And that’s when he really feels the loss of his mate.  It’s almost like a severed limb--he can tell where he should feel Jensen, but there’s nothing there, nothing but emptiness and loneliness as he keeps reaching out, trying to find him but coming up empty.  
  
He curls on to his side and stares out the window as he falls asleep in the darkness of his room, hoping that his mate will come for him, but full of despair that they might never be together again.

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 2

Jared wakes early the next morning, alone and cold and cut off from everyone and everything.  He tries to feel out his bond with Jensen one more time and is met with nothing again.  It’s a horrible, empty feeling, one he had thought he’d have the rest of his life.  And then he’d met Jensen and found happiness, love, a partner.  To have it all ripped away just as it was beginning is the cruelest thing his father has done to him yet.  
  
His door swings open moments later to reveal Gerald in stiff dress clothes, glaring at him where he still lays in his bed.   
  
“Get up,” he commands Jared.  “Your mother expects you at breakfast.  You have ten minutes to get down there, and don’t get any ideas about escaping.  After your last stunt, this place has been fortified.”  
  
“I’m not hungry,” Jared says, refusing to move.  
  
“I don’t care,” Gerald responds.  “You’ll be there, whether you want to or not.  I suggest you don’t force my hand.”  
  
“What could you possibly do to me that would be worse than what you’ve already done?” Jared asks, not even sparing his father a glance.  
  
“That’s fine, son,” Gerald says coldly.  “I know you’re angry, and I’ve let you have your little tantrum, but it’s time to start acting like an adult and take your place in this family.”  
  
“My place is with my Alpha,” Jared says steadily.  “And my Alpha is in Dallas.”  
  
“He is  _not_  your Alpha, Jared,  _I_ am,” Gerald states.  “You’ll forget him soon enough.”  
  
“He’s my mate,” Jared growls defensively, throwing himself out of bed and snarling at his father.  “I carry his mark and I will not forget him,” he declares, pulling the collar of his shirt down to show his father the edges of his mating mark, a brief look of distaste flashing across Gerald’s face.  
  
“Clearly he has you under his control, but we’ll break that soon enough,” Gerald denies the evidence.  “There is no way two alphas can mate.”  
  
“You just don’t get it!” Jared snaps.  “I am a beta!  A  _beta_.  Do you understand that?” he demands.  “I’m not an alpha and I never was.  I’ll never be what you want me to be and you are so deep in denial that you’d rather destroy me than let me go.  That’s why I ran away.  That’s why I left.  Because I couldn’t take the looks and the comments and the training, and I refused to deny my nature while you refused to acknowledge it,” he yells, and god it feels good.  “Do you even know what damage you did to me?  Do you even care?”  
  
“How could I care about a beta son that I never had?” Gerald sneers.  “You have been nothing but the shame of this family, and you’ve been nothing but selfish, parading around as a beta to suit your own needs.  And you even tricked your mother into assisting you the last time.  Did you even stop to think about how your defection damaged her?  Just remember that it’s not all about you.”  
  
“That’s right,” Jared laughs humorlessly.  “I forgot that you had to punish her for getting me out of an abusive situation.  How silly of me to think that you would be responsible for your own actions.  I forgot that I am dealing with a child throwing a fit.”  
  
“How dare you disrespect me!” Gerald snarls, lashing out and catching Jared in the jaw with the back of his hand.  “ _You_  are the child here, and I will set you back on the correct course.”  
  
“Whatever gets you through the night,” Jared says much more calmly than he feels.  
  
“You have ten minutes,” Gerald states.  “You will be down in the dining room or I will punish your mother  _and_ your sister for your tardiness, since you clearly don’t have any concern for your own well-being.”  
  
With one more nasty look, Gerald turns on his heel and leaves.  Jared almost collapses to the floor the second he’s alone, the adrenaline and anger that had been fueling him leaving him weak and shaky.  It amazes him that years have passed and they still slip into the same roles they played before he left: Gerald the oppressor and Jared the rebel.   
  
Jared will go to breakfast, mostly because he’s never known his father to not make good on a threat.  He makes his way down the hall in nothing but the shorts and t-shirt he slept in, just to spite his father who always insisted everyone be dressed and ready for the day at the breakfast table.  Well, he can just fuck himself as far as Jared’s concerned.   
  
His mother and sister are at the table when he pushes the heavy door open, both of them turning to him as he makes his way to the table and sits next to Megan.  She pushes a plate in front of him with food on it, but he wasn’t lying when he told his father he wasn’t hungry.  He’s pining for his mate and there’s no way he’ll be able to eat until he’s back with Jensen.  
  
He gives Megan a small smile, wincing as a feeling of tightness flares across his jaw where Gerald hit him.  It doesn’t feel like it’s going to bruise, though.  Gerald never hit him hard, just hard enough.  His words were what really hurt.   
  
“I only ever wanted you to be happy,” Sherri says, breaking the quiet in a soft voice like she isn’t sure how Jared will react, and he can’t fault her.  She and Megan were sure to have heard the yelling match in his room all the way in the dining room.  
  
“I know,” Jared accepts, pushing his food around on the plate in front of him.  He’s not even trying to pretend to eat.  The thought of food makes him sick.  He just wants Jensen.  
  
“And are you?” she asks, eyes hopeful and shining.  
  
“I was,” Jared replies despondently.  “Until yesterday.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” she says, a slight tremble in her voice.  “I couldn’t stop him.”  
  
“I don’t blame you for anything, Mom,” he assures her.  “I never did.”  
  
“JT, I--”  
  
There’s a bell that cuts her off then, the signal that someone has arrived on the property, and they all wait quietly for more information.  
  
“Dallas Alpha to see San Antonio Alpha,” the doorman announces.  
  
“Jensen,” Jared gasps, hope flaring bright and hot in his chest.  
  
Jared leaps from the table not a second later, completely disregarding his mother’s worried voice calling after him, and runs through the house to the foyer in time to see his father descend the stairs and Jensen step through the door with Chris and two other wolves behind him—Alphas, he realizes—all standing in silence with disapproving and menacing eyes.  
  
“Jensen,” Jared calls out as he rushes into the room and skids to a stop, his mother and sister hot on his heels.  “You’re here.”  
  
Jensen’s eyes fly to Jared at the sound of his voice, green eyes going quickly from relieved to wrathful as he bares his teeth in a vicious snarl at the sight of the silver collar around Jared’s neck.  But Jared can’t care about that because Jensen’s here.  He’s come for him, and the sight of his mate standing in the foyer of his childhood home, all gold and green and furious on his behalf makes the heavy weight in his chest lift.  
  
“I’m surprised you showed up here, Ackles,” Gerald says to Jensen, gaining the other Alpha’s attention.  “I thought everything would have been made clear after the letter you should have received.”  
  
“Oh, everything was clear, Padalecki.  Very clear,” Jensen says.  “Not that I believed a word of it.  I’ve come for my beta.”  
  
“Of course you have,” Gerald flashes him a quick smile.  “You know, it’s quite rare for one Pack Alpha to invade the home of another, especially for some ungrateful whelp that I graciously took off of your hands before he ruined you.”  
  
“It’s rare for one Alpha to steal another’s mate.  I think I’ll trust my own judgment where my beta is concerned, though, and I’ll ask that you keep your opinions to yourself,” Jensen states.  “And I may be in your home, but I certainly wasn’t dumb enough to come alone,” he says, tilting his head toward his companions.  “As you can see, I’ve got Austin, Waco, and Fort Worth behind me.  Now, we wouldn’t want to cause a scene, so would you please release my mate?” he asks, calm demeanor belying what Jared can see is a strong anger beneath.  “I’m only going to ask once.”  
  
“My son wants to stay here,” Gerald says calmly, eyes flicking to Jared, an unspoken order to stay quiet.  
  
“Does he?  Why don’t we ask him?” Jensen suggests.  “My beta’s thoughts and words are very important to me and I’d rather hear it from him than you.  If he does want to stay here, then let him tell me himself, and I’ll leave and you’ll never hear from me again.”  
  
“Very well,” Gerald agrees, addressing Jared.  “Son, tell this  _dog_  that you wish to remain here with your family and be done with this.”  
  
Jared fidgets where he stands.  It’s hard for him to separate the needs in his head.  His father, his original Alpha, commanding him to stay put and tell Jensen to leave, and his true Alpha, his mate, silently begging him to tell him it’s okay, to give him permission to… well, Jared’s not sure but he’s pretty convinced that whatever Jensen has in mind will be violent, given Gerald won’t yield.   
  
Jared’s not sure what’s about to happen, but there’s only one thing he wants right now, only one desire that’s won out.  He knows what he has to do, he just hopes Jensen’s prepared to follow through on his word that he’d do anything for Jared, because things are about to get intense.  
  
“Jensen,” Jared says to his mate, staring his father down, daring him to stop the words from coming out of his mouth.  It’s quiet in the foyer, quiet enough to hear a pin drop as everyone waits for Jared’s response.  “I don’t want to be here.  Take me home, please.”  
  
“As you wish,” Jensen acquiesces.  “You heard him,” he says to Gerald.  “Now let him go and nothing will happen to you.”  
  
“You know I can’t let that happen,” Gerald responds.  “He’s embarrassing his family.”  
  
“ _I’m_  his family now,” Jensen bares his teeth again, the other Alphas bristling behind him and readying themselves for anything.  “You’re holding him against his will.  Release him  _now_.”  
  
“Or what?  You’ll challenge me to a fight?” Gerald taunts.  
  
“If that’s what it takes,” Jensen agrees.  
  
“Shall we settle this the old fashioned way then?  To the death?” Gerald asks.  “I’ve eaten pups twice your size for breakfast,” he warns with a smirk.  
  
“We’ll see about that,” Jensen smiles back dangerously, stripping and shifting as Gerald does as well.  
  
They circle each other, the tawny fur on the ridge of Jensen’s back standing up as he bares his teeth at Gerald, the older, darker wolf eyeing him cautiously.  Jared thinks he’d better because Jensen’s wolf is younger and stronger and he’s fighting for his mate, making him a deadly opponent.   
  
And Jared’s still awed by how beautiful Jensen is.  His wolf is absolutely breathtaking and if Gerald hurts one hair on Jensen, consequences be damned, he’s going to rip the collar off and tear his own father limb from limb.   
  
Gerald’s the first to make a move, lunging forward and snapping at Jensen’s side, but Jensen is faster and dodges it easily, bushy tail swinging to keep his balance as his green eyes search for an opportunity to attack.  He gets his chance a moment later when Gerald strikes out again, going for his flank and leaving his side open for Jensen to sink his teeth into him.   
  
Jensen’s strong jaws latch onto Gerald’s shoulder, biting and growling while the other wolf whines and struggles to get away, thrashing at Jensen and shaking him off.  Jared grins smugly at the thick oozing of blood from the wound.  Jensen’s dealt him a debilitating blow and Gerald seems to know it, hunkering lower and curling his snout threateningly.  
  
They both leap at each other seconds later, rolling and snapping and snarling in a blur of fur and tails.  Gerald rolls away from Jensen and there it is, the opportunity Jared knows his mate’s been waiting for.  He launches into Gerald, catching him in his exposed side and slamming him into the marble floor, but just as he’s lunging for the kill, Jared feels himself leap into action, shouting for Jensen to stop.  
  
And he does, his teeth hovering over the older Alpha’s throat.  He gives Jared a questioning look then.  
  
“I don’t want you to kill him,” Jared says.  “I want him to live.”  Jensen is looking at him like he’s lost his mind, and part of him agrees.  “Shift back, father,” he orders.  
  
When the older wolf doesn’t, Jensen snarls and snaps at his throat and growls low and deep.  Within seconds, Gerald is back in human form, held to the floor by Jensen’s massive wolf.   
  
“I want him to live with the shame that he has a beta for a son,” Jared states, stroking a hand through Jensen’s thick fur.  “And I want him to live with the knowledge that I’m happy.”  
  
Jensen nods in agreement, shifting back into human form and allowing several officers bearing the crest of Dallas Pack Authority to take Gerald into custody.   
  
“It’s usually a death sentence to abduct an Alpha’s mate,” Jensen states, pulling his clothes back on and glaring at Gerald.  “But I believe my Beta’s judgment on this matter is a far better punishment.  This might be San Antonio territory, but you made it my jurisdiction when you took him from my Pack,” he says.   
  
Gerald snarls as the Authority officers move in, allowing him to dress quickly before they restrain him in silver cuffs and take him into custody.  
  
“Get your filthy hands off of me, human,” Gerald spits, eyes flashing at the nearest officer.  “Do you have any idea who I am?”  
  
The man doesn’t even deign to give his father the courtesy of a glance, instead looking to Jensen for instructions.   
  
“You know what to do,” Jensen says with a tip of his head, cool eyes on Gerald, almost as if he’s daring him to try something, to give him some reason to end him right there in the foyer.  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” the officer nods and signals his unit to move, taking Gerald away.  
  
Jared moves into Jensen’s space then.  He knows his alpha is hot off of the fight and angry enough to spit nails, but he’s got to be near him.  The twenty-four hours they were apart was too much, especially when Jared didn’t know if he’d ever see Jensen again.   
  
“Are you okay?” Jensen asks, turning his full attention on Jared as Gerald is escorted out of the door, baring his teeth and glaring at anyone he can.  
  
“Better now that you’re here,” Jared tries to smile for Jensen.  It must fall pretty flat because Jensen’s still frowning, worry creasing his brow.  
  
“Let’s get this off of you,” Jensen says, reaching for the collar.  
  
“No, don’t!” Jared pulls away quickly.  “It’s solid silver,” he explains at Jensen’s startled look.  “I burned myself trying to get it off last night,” he says, showing Jensen the reddened tips of his fingers.  
  
Jensen makes a displeased face and waves over one of the remaining human officers, instructing him to remove the collar.  Jared ducks down a little as the officer reaches for the buckle, Jensen’s eyes on the man the entire time as he unbuckles the collar and takes it away at Jensen’s orders.  
  
It’s sweet relief as Jared can feel Jensen’s presence, can feel him inside, in his mind, just brushing against his consciousness.  And it’s like taking a deep breath after being submerged for too long.  It’s a weight gone, having that connection back, and it makes him feel lighter and happier instantly.   
  
“Thanks,” Jared says, rubbing a hand over the irritated skin, everything much better now that he can sense Jensen again.  
  
“Who did that to you?  Who collared you?” Jensen asks, eyes troubled.  Jared knows what he’s thinking too.  Collaring is usually reserved to punish the worst of criminals, and to have one with a solid silver clasp is serious business.   
  
“Humans,” Jared says.  “About five of them, all under my father’s control and following his orders.  They jumped me and used a lot of silver to overpower me and throw me in a van.”  
  
“This should have never happened.  It shouldn’t have happened in my territory,” Jensen says seriously as he watches Jared.  “I’m so sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.  I’m sorry you had to go through this at all.”  
  
“You came,” Jared smiles for real this time, dipping down to nuzzle into his mate affectionately.  “That’s all that matters.”  
  
“I went crazy when I couldn’t find you, Jay,” Jensen says, pulling Jared close.  “Misha and I were tearing the city apart.  And then this letter came, saying how you’d gone home and you no longer wanted contact with me because you’d realized you made a mistake.  That your place was with San Antonio and you didn’t want to be associated with me anymore.”  
  
“I’d never--”  
  
“I know,” Jensen soothes him.  “I didn’t believe it for a second.  All I could feel was how angry and scared and hurt you were, and when I knew you’d been taken, I called Chris.  He’s the one that suggested I bring some Alphas with us for backup, just in case it came down to me challenging your father.”  
  
“Which you did,” Jared points out, and he’s so proud of Jensen, so happy that his alpha loves him enough to fight for him.  “He wasn’t going to let me go, Jensen.  He’d have locked me away from you for the rest of my life.”  
  
“I know, baby, but you’re safe now,” Jensen assures him.  “You’re with me and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.  As long as I am breathing, I will  _always_ come for you.  I swear it.”  
  
Jared lets Jensen hold him as they linger in the foyer for a few minutes longer, the others moving out of the room to allow them a private moment alone.  Jared tilts Jensen’s face up and kisses him, his rescuer, his hero, and Jensen kisses him back.  He feels the love his alpha has for him, his devotion and how fiercely happy he is to have Jared back within reach.  Because Jared feels it too, that relief of having Jensen right next to him, under his fingertips.  They separate slowly, Jared smiling at Jensen again, grin widening to show his dimples when Jensen returns it.  
  
“Come on,” Jared says, grabbing his mate’s hand.  “I want you to meet my mom.”  
  
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Jensen asks, holding perfectly still against Jared’s insistent pull.  “I did just attack her mate in her home and then have him arrested.”  
  
“My mother and father are very different wolves,” Jared says.  “Believe me when I say you did everyone a favor.”  
  
“If you insist,” Jensen concedes.  
  
“I do,” Jared beams again, happily leading Jensen to the dining room where Sherri and Megan have led Chris and the other Alphas, feeding them leftover breakfast and entertaining them while they wait.  
  
“Alpha,” Sherri addresses Jensen, standing up quickly and bowing her head as they enter the room.  
  
“Ma’am,” Jensen replies with a nod of his head, looking to Jared and letting him take the lead.  
  
“Mom,” Jared begins, moving to her and leading her over to his alpha.  “This is my mate, Jensen,” he presents.   
  
“It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Padalecki,” Jensen says warmly, holding out his hand.  
  
“It’s an honor, Alpha,” she says, smiling as she takes his hand.  “I trust you’re taking good care of my Jared?” she asks, leveling an appraising gaze at Jared’s mate.  
  
“ _Mom_ ,” Jared warns, his cheeks heating.  
  
“I’m your mother, JT,” Sherri admonishes.  “It’s my right to know my children are well taken care of.”  
  
“Yes, ma’am,” Jensen replies with a smile.  “Though I believe it’s usually him taking care of me.”  
  
“He’s too modest, Mom.  He’s wonderful to me,” Jared assures his mother, stepping back into Jensen’s space and leaning into him.  “Everyone should be so lucky.”  
  
“In that case, you’re always welcome here, Alpha,” she smiles at them both.  “And it is an honor to have you in our home.”  
  
“Thank you, ma’am,” Jensen acknowledges.  
  
“Please, come sit with us.  Our cook makes an excellent breakfast spread,” Sherri says, waving them to two empty seats, as she sits directly across from them.  “How does your cook fare?”  
  
“Great, if it isn’t more complicated than macaroni and cheese,” Jensen says with a glance in Jared’s direction and a smile just for him.  
  
“Right, because steak requires so much skill,” Jared retorts, laughing to himself as he spears a sausage.  
  
“Hey!” Jensen cries.  “It takes a lot more attention to detail and timing than boiling noodles in water.  Besides, the only reason you never mess that up is because you’re in there every thirty seconds  _testing_  the noodles for the proper tenderness.”  
  
Except for that one time where Jared pinned Jensen to the front door and blew him instead.   
  
“And it’s always perfect,” Jared beams at his mate and then glances toward his mother, who is staring at them like she isn’t quite following.  
  
“Jenny likes to live like the rest of his pack,” Chris clarifies for both of them at Sherri’s confused look.  “It’s just him and Jared.  They cook, clean, drive themselves, do their own laundry.  You name it.”  
  
“I just don’t see why I have to flaunt my status,” Jensen defends.  “They all know who I am anyway.  I don’t need to advertise it.”  
  
“I can respect that.  And what about your beta?” Sherri asks.  “What is your philosophy on that?”  
  
“My beta is my mate, my life partner, my equal,” Jensen answers.  “He’s the most important person in all of existence.  There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him and I would be nothing without him,” he says, glancing to Jared.  And Jared loves him so much in that moment.  He smiles at his alpha and reaches for his hand under the table, squeezing it reassuringly.  
  
“You love him?” Sherri asks, and Jared really kind of wishes she’d waited for this until they were alone and not done it in front of everyone at the breakfast table, but Jensen doesn’t seem fazed about declaring his intentions in front of the other Alphas.  
  
“Unconditionally,” Jensen responds, resolute.  
  
“Does he pass your little test?  Are you satisfied?” Jared interrupts before anyone can get another question in.  “Can we just eat breakfast now?”  
  
“Jared,” Jensen warns softly.  “She’s just concerned.  If I can put her at ease, it’s the least I can do.”  
  
“You’ve already done enough for me, Alpha,” Sherri smiles.  “Unseating my husband is something that’s needed to be done for a while now, and I assure you that Jeff will prove himself to you in time.”  
  
“I believe you,” Jensen replies.  
  
“I never wanted my son to feel like he had to leave,” she says.  “It broke my heart when you left, JT, but I knew it was what was best for you.  I’m glad you found your own happiness and I hope that you can forgive me for not being strong for you when you needed it the most.”  
  
“I forgave you a long time ago,” Jared says.  “Everything is more than okay now, and that’s what matters.  I promise.”  
  
There’s a moment of silence then before Chris breaks it.  
  
“Not to cut this short or anything,” Chris begins.  “The food is absolutely divine, Mrs. Padalecki,” he says to Sherri.  “But the rest of us have our Betas coming into town later tonight and in our haste to get down here, we neglected to make any sort of plans for an extended stay, which I am certain this will become.  So we’re probably going to need to head into town to get things settled, because I do not want to hear the lecture my mate will give me if I don’t have a room by then.”  
  
Waco Alpha Tom Welling and Jensen laugh a little at Chris’s admission and Jared smiles.  Steve is not nearly as prickly as Chris would have Jared’s mom believe, but Jared knows that it’s Chris’s way of diffusing an awkward conversation.  
  
“You’re all welcome to stay here,” Sherri offers with a warm smile as Jared reaches across the table to cover her hand with his, reassuring her that he’s proud of her too.  “There’s more than enough room in the house to accommodate you and your mates, and we’d be happy to have you as guests.”  
  
“Thank you, Mrs. Padalecki,” Chris grins, genuine surprise on his face.  “You are wonderful for opening your home to us.”  
  
“So you’ll accept?” she asks.  
  
“Yes, ma’am,” Jensen agrees for the rest of them.  
  
“I’ll have your rooms prepared for you right away,” Sherri announces, standing and leaving the dining area, taking Megan with her.  
  
“Jensen,” Austin Alpha Jeffrey Dean Morgan says from a few seats down, voice gruff and authoritative.  “I think we need to discuss what we’re going to do about Padalecki.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen agrees.  
  
“It’s not every day a Pack Alpha commits such a crime,” Jeffrey Dean continues.  “I think we need to talk about this in private, just us Alphas,” he says with a glance in Jared’s direction that clearly states his absence would be appreciated.  
  
“I can get you into my father’s study,” Jared says, ignoring the way Jeffrey Dean looked at him.  Asshole.  “It’s pretty secluded and quiet.”  
  
“Thank you, Beta,” Jeffrey Dean says.  “Are we all in agreement?”  
  
Everyone nods their agreement and then they’re all bustling out of the dining hall as Jared leads them through the house.  It’s been years since he’s been to his father’s study, but he’d never forget they way.  He takes them down a dark corridor and stops at the deep cherry wood of the doors to the study.  He’d always thought they were pretty, but they were tools of his imprisonment all at the same time and he gets a chill as he opens the doors for the Alphas.  There are too many bad memories in that room, too many nights spent poring over books on how to be a proper, real alpha, and he doesn’t really want to relive that right now.  Or ever.   
  
“Take all the time you need.  And if there’s something one of the staff can get you, just ring them,” he says, ushering them through.  
  
“Are you okay?” Jensen asks him as the other Alphas settle into the room.  
  
“Yeah, I just don’t like this room very much,” Jared explains.  “Go do your Alpha thing.  I’ll be in my room when you get done.”  
  
“Okay,” Jensen agrees, kissing him quickly.  “Come get me if you need me.”  
  
“Likewise,” Jared smiles and lets him go.  
  
Jared makes the short trek back to his room to find his sister already waiting for him with a look in her eyes that he doesn’t even want to deal with.  He flops down onto his bed, ignoring her as she piddles around his room for a few minutes, leaving him with what he  _knows_  is a false sense of security.  
  
“What do you want, Meg?” Jared finally asks, sick of the silence.  
  
“Nothing,” she says innocently.  “I just missed you is all.”  
  
“I missed you too,” he smiles at her warmly, scooting over and patting the spot next to him.  “Get over here already.”  
  
“Thought you’d never ask,” Megan says, plopping down next to him on his bed and snuggling into him.  He’s missed this, the closeness that he once had with his sister, and he’s grateful that they can have it again.  “JT,” she begins, spreading her hand over his heart.  “Your mate is  _so_  hot.  I’m jealous.”  
  
Jared laughs and grins down at her, flushing as he can’t help but agree.  His mate  _is_  unreasonably attractive.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared replies.  
  
“So tell me about him,” she demands, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him.  
  
“What do you want to know?” he asks.  
  
“Where you met, what it was like to know you’d found your mate, how good he is in bed,” she smiles mischievously.  
  
“I am  _not_  telling you about my sex life,” Jared states.  Those are things little sisters should  _never_  know.  
  
“Must be good then,” she smirks.  
  
“I can’t believe you,” he scoffs, rolling his eyes.  
  
“ _Very_ good,” she teases him.  “These old walls are pretty thin, you know.  Just keep that in mind when you go to bed tonight.”  
  
“Oh god.  Please stop talking,” Jared begs, groaning.  
  
“Come on, JT,” Megan whines.  “Please?  Just tell me how you guys met.”  
  
“Um, well, Misha and I were down at the Council Chambers, trying for the fifth or sixth time to get my registration papers--”  
  
“You tried that many times?” Megan asks in surprise.  “Why didn’t they let you register?  That seems ridiculous!”  
  
“I didn’t have the paperwork they wanted from San Antonio and there was no way I could request it without Dad finding out about where I was,” Jared explains.  “I was sure they were getting ready to run me out of the Pack too.”  
  
“It’s not like that anymore, is it?” Megan asks.  “They know you’re off limits, right?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared says.  “Everyone in Dallas knows I’m Pack Beta.  They pretty much treat me like the Queen of England.”  
  
The ass kissing he gets at work alone is enough to make him never want to show his face again.  It's no wonder Jensen is so uncomfortable.  
  
“Well, you kind of are,” Megan giggles.   
  
“Am not,” Jared grumbles.   
  
“I know, I know,” Megan says.  “I’ll shut up now.”  
  
“Thank you,” he responds.  
  
“Please, continue,” Megan requests.  “So you were trying to register and…” she prompts.  
  
“And there he was in the lobby,” Jared says.  “Looking and smelling perfect.  He asked me to lunch, and then he kept asking me to lunch and out on the weekends and once to his parents’ house.  And then he asked me to his house one night where cooked us dinner and told me about himself, about becoming Alpha and I told him about leaving San Antonio and being a beta,” he states.  “After that, it just kind of snowballed and then he marked me and we mated.”  
  
“There’s a lot to be desired in that story, Jared Padalecki,” Megan admonishes him.  “But it sounds kind of sweet,” she relents with a smile.  “I can tell that he really cares for you.  I mean, coming all the way from Dallas and storming the castle to save you is pretty romantic,” she sighs and Jared knows why.   
  
He's not the only Padalecki child that suffered at Gerald's hand.  His beta sister had to bear his disappointment too.  He may not have tried to brainwash her, but Jared knows that he tried to hide her existence from the world.   
  
“Hey, you’ll find your mate,” Jared assures her.  “If I did, you certainly will.  And you don’t have a mountain of baggage to get over to do it.”  
  
“But how will I even know?” she asks.  “How did you know?”  
  
“I couldn’t stand to be away from him,” Jared answers.  “He was all I could think about.  He still is, but now that we’re bonded it’s calmer.  Like I can feel him right now, so the distance isn’t so bad.”  
  
“How does he feel?”  
  
“He’s a little irritated, kind of bored,” Jared chuckles.  “And he’s not really paying attention to the other Alphas.  He’s uh, kind of got his mind on other things.”   
  
“That’s so sweet,” she smiles and he laughs to himself.  Jensen’s thoughts are definitely  _not_  sweet and they’re making it very hard for Jared to have a conversation with his sister.  His mate is still feeling rather violent.  “I’m very happy that you’ve found your mate, Jared,” Megan says, cuddling back into him and tucking her head into his shoulder again.  “It makes me glad to see you so happy.”  
  
“I am,” he admits freely, relaxing back into his bed and holding her gently.  “I’m very happy.”

  
* * *

  
“So?” Jared asks as Jensen comes into his room.  The meeting was long.  A lot longer than Jensen had estimated for him.  It's well after sundown, and for the last hour or so, Jared has been impatient and twitchy, annoying even his sister into leaving him alone while he waited.  “What’d you guys decide?”  
  
“We’re putting him on trial,” Jensen says.  “We’re calling in all of the major Pack Alphas from the state to preside over it.  But I want you to understand that what your father did was a very serious offense and that the sentence could be severe.”  
  
“I don’t want him to die,” Jared states.  “Or be banished.  It would kill my mother.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen acknowledges.  “I’ll do what I can.”  
  
“And I don’t think Jeffrey Dean likes me very much,” Jared says.  
  
“He doesn’t like anyone very much,” Jensen laughs.  “He’s a little old school, but not like your father.  He’s just very proper and always has his mind on business.”  
  
“I still think he’s an asshole,” Jared makes a face.  
  
“I don’t disagree,” Jensen gives him a smile.  “So, are we sleeping in here?” he asks, looking around Jared’s bedroom.  
  
“I guess so,” Jared says.  “Unless you’re uncomfortable and would rather be somewhere else.”  
  
“I just figured you might be,” Jensen says, and he does have a point.   
  
This  _is_  where Jared had been held captive for most of his life.  But he doesn’t feel that way about this room.  For all of the bad memories he has, there are still good ones, like snuggling with his sister and his mother reading him bedtime stories and giving him goodnight kisses.  It’s still a safe place for him.  
  
“I’m good,” Jared responds, going to Jensen and wrapping his arms around the Alpha’s waist.  “Especially now.  And I have you to protect me.”  
  
“I missed you,” Jensen says quietly, leaning into Jared’s touch.  
  
“I missed you too,” Jared replies.  “So much.”  
  
He turns his face into Jensen’s, slanting his mouth over his mate’s and kissing him softly, just a brush of lips, before diving back in and kissing him properly, licking and sucking into the Alpha.  Jensen groans and pulls back from Jared with an audible smack.  His eyes are glazed and Jared can feel the heat between them, Jensen’s hard length pressing into his thigh.  
  
“Not tonight, Jay,” Jensen says, even though Jared knows he wants it, can feel it thrumming through their bond, can sense it in his smell.  
  
“What?  Why not?” Jared demands.   
  
“We’re in your mother’s house,” Jensen points out.  “And I want to respect that.”  
  
“We’re mated, Jensen,” Jared whines.  “She knows what we do.  We’re consenting adults and you’re my alpha.”  
  
“But this is her home, and I…”  
  
“Don’t want to defile her son under her roof?” Jared snorts.  “I can feel how much you want me, Alpha,” he says in a low voice, playing dirty as he grabs Jensen through his jeans, squeezing the ridge of his dick and smirking as it gives a twitch under his touch.  “And you know how much I need you.”  
  
“I do,” Jensen agrees, shuddering and biting his plump bottom lip as Jared watches him intently.  “But not right now.  We can make it for a day or two, don’t you think?”  
  
“But I don’t want to,” Jared argues as Jensen pulls his hand away.   
  
“I’m not having sex with you in this house, and that’s final,” Jensen decrees, voice firm and leaving no room for discussion.  “Now get some control over yourself and let’s just go to bed.”  
  
“Fine,” Jared pouts.  “Should I sleep on top of the covers?  Or do you think I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself?”  
  
“Jared,” Jensen sighs, but Jared’s not giving in now.  
  
“Or maybe I should just sleep on the floor or even in another room,” he snaps.  “Would that please you?”  
  
“That’s not what I meant,” Jensen says through his teeth and Jared can feel how on edge he is.  “We’re both worked up from the last two days.  Baby, please.  I want you, you know I do.  I just don’t feel comfortable doing things in your mother’s house.  But I promise you I’ll do whatever you want the minute we’re done here.”  
  
“I know,” Jared concedes.  Jensen’s right.  They’re both exhausted and prickly from the whole ordeal and while Jared had time to think about everything, Jensen had to sit around and discuss politics with other Pack Alphas.   
  
“I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have said it like that,” Jensen says, pulling Jared into a loose embrace.   
  
“I forgive you,” Jared responds, nuzzling his alpha’s hair and inhaling his scent.  “And I’m sorry I pushed you.”  
  
“It’s all right,” Jensen says.  “Any other time I’d have jumped you where you stand.”  
  
“I know,” Jared gives him a smile.  “Bed?  I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty tired and I didn’t have to fight another Alpha  _or_  deal with inter-Pack policy.”  
  
“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Jensen agrees, following Jared over to the bed.  
  
Jared climbs into bed and watches as Jensen changes his clothes.  He might not be getting any tonight, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t enjoy the view.  He smiles and blushes a little when Jensen catches him staring, but that doesn’t deter him any, and a few moments later, Jensen is slipping under the covers and pulling Jared to him.  
  
“This right here was worth it all,” Jensen declares, wrapping his arms around Jared and making him feel safe and loved and right, because he’s right where he’s supposed to be.  
  
“Love you,” Jared whispers into Jensen’s shoulder, quickly sinking into sleep.  
  
The last thing he hears is Jensen returning his affections.

* * *

“Hey,” Jensen’s voice wakes him slowly as his warm mouth works across Jared’s jaw and cheek.  
  
“Hey,” Jared responds, voice husky and low.  He turns his head to allow Jensen better access but Jensen pulls away and gives Jared a quick kiss on the lips, apparently still adhering to his no sex policy from last night.  Damn.  
  
“Your mom came by and said breakfast was ready,” Jensen says.  “Want to go ahead and head down there, or…”  
  
“Can we just lay here together for a little while longer?” Jared asks sleepily.  He really doesn’t want to get out of bed.   
  
“Alright,” Jensen laughs softly but still agrees, relaxing back into the warm cocoon of covers and pulling Jared to him.  
  
Jared hums his agreement and snuggles into Jensen, letting the happy and content feeling of having his mate so close wash over him.  He knows that sooner rather than later they’ll have to venture forth and face the day, but it’s nice to just  _be_  for a little while longer.  
  
“What’s the plan for today?” Jared asks.  
  
“The other Pack Alphas and some of their Betas should be arriving, responding to their summons, as well as the Betas for Fort Worth, Waco, and Austin,” Jensen replies.  “We’ll have to meet with them to bring them all up to speed and then pick the council that will preside over your father’s trial.”  
  
“How will you choose?” Jared asks.  
  
“Jeffrey Dean and I will decide on the ten we want for the trial,” Jensen answers.  “And then we’ll start with the proceedings, first with a presentation of events and evidence, and then with testimony, both your father’s and mine.”  
  
“Then what happens?”  
  
“They’ll reach a verdict and decide on punishment,” Jensen says.  
  
“I still don’t want him executed,” Jared states.  
  
“I’ll recommend against execution, but they might want to hear your side of the story,” Jensen agrees.  “If it comes to it, can you testify?  Is that alright?”  
  
“How… in front of how many people?” Jared asks.  He doesn’t know if he can do that in front of the whole of San Antonio.  
  
“There’ll be the Alpha Council and probably your family, your father at the very least,” Jensen says.  “We’re closing it to the public, but I don’t think your family will hold anything you say against you.”  
  
“Yeah, no, I know,” Jared says.  “I just… Meg and Jeff never saw my father the way I did, the way my mother did.  I just don’t want them to hear some of the things I might have to say.”  
  
“It’ll be alright, Jared,” Jensen assures him.  “I promise.”  
  
They’ve chosen the Omni La Mansion del Rio for everyone to stay, other than the pairs staying at the ranch house, and the Alphas have decided on conducting all of their business there in a conference room before moving the trial to the Council court chambers.  Jared and Jensen make their way to the hotel earlier in the day, Megan tagging along to help with setting everything up in preparation for the arrival of the rest of the Alphas and their mates.  
  
There’s a steady stream of wolves trickling in until after lunch, including Chad and Sophia, who were friends of his from his time at UT, and Jared’s brother Jeff, who is icy and distant and barely says hello to Jared or Megan before he ducks into the conference room.  But Jared’s been kept too busy to dwell on it as Jensen has introduced him to so many different people that it’s hard for him to keep them all straight, but he does his duty as Jensen’s Beta and smiles and shakes their hands as they tell him how happy they are to meet him and congratulate Jensen on landing such a  _fine_  wolf for a mate.  
  
“Jensen,” Jeffrey Dean says as he approaches them.  “I think it’s time to convene.  Let’s round everyone up and get them into the conference room.”  
  
“Sounds good,” Jensen agrees, turning to Jared as Jeffrey Dean starts to spread the word and Alphas begin to separate from their mates.  “You going to be okay?” he asks Jared.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared flashes him a quick smile.  “I think I’ll take Meg and hit the Riverwalk.  Maybe I’ll pick you up something.”  
  
“Oh?” Jensen asks, smiling back.  “Make sure it’s really tacky and has the Alamo on it.”  
  
“Of course,” Jared agrees.  “Call me when you guys are done?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen nods, glancing around as the room starts to clear, the Alphas moving to the conference room and their Betas grouping up and moving out of the hotel.   
  
“Don’t even,” Jared says, getting Jensen’s attention back on him.  
  
“What?”  
  
“I know what you’re thinking,” Jared shakes a finger at him.  “It might be politic of me to make friends with some of the other Betas, but--”  
  
“I wasn’t going to say that!” Jensen exclaims.   
  
“Uh huh, right,” Jared grins, pulling Jensen close.  “You know, it would be nothing short of cruel to loose me on some sweet, unsuspecting Betas.”  
  
“You’re full of it,” Jensen rolls his eyes.  “Everyone loves you.”  
  
“By proxy,” Jared points out.  “They all love  _you_.”  
  
“And as soon as they get to know you, they’ll love you too,” Jensen counters.   
  
“I know,” Jared concedes, nuzzling Jensen, making sure he scent marks Jensen while getting Jensen's scent all over himself.  The more he smells like the Alpha, the better.  “I’ll try to make some friends, I promise.”  
  
“Good,” Jensen says, pulling Jared into a kiss that’s way too chaste for his liking.  
  
“Go do your Alpha thing,” Jared says as they break apart.   
  
“Be careful,” Jensen requests and Jared can sense his anxiety as he lingers, staying close to Jared.  
  
“I will,” Jared says.   “This is San Antonio and I’m Pack Blood.  I’m practically royalty.  I’ll be fine.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen responds.  “But we thought you were safe in Dallas too.”  
  
“No one is going to do anything with so many Pack Alphas in town,” Jared states.   
  
Jensen makes a face and glances Megan’s way as she talks to a few of the other Betas.  It’s clear that Jensen wants Jared to stay within sight, and he’s having a hard time admitting that Jared will be just fine without him.  And Jared understands, but San Antonio is his home and he’s never felt like he’s been in danger here.  He catches Megan’s eyes and she says something to a few of the Betas and then makes her way over.  
  
“Making friends?” Jared asks as she greets them both with a warm smile.  
  
“Yeah.  Steve’s cool,” Megan answers.  “A group of us are going to the Hard Rock Café.  Steve said you’re invited.  Want to go?  I know you like their burgers,” she wheedles.  “You can’t say no, Jay.  Sophia and Chad said so.”  
  
Jared looks to Jensen who is smiling and pleased with the turn of events, clearly happier with the prospect of Jared going out with a group of Betas than just him and his sister.   
  
“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Jensen agrees with Megan, giving her an appreciative look.   
  
“Fine,” Jared concedes.  Like he’d say  _no_  to Chad and Sophia anyway.  “I’ll go make more friends.”  
  
“Thanks, baby,” Jensen says, pulling Jared in for one last kiss.  
  
“You guys are disgustingly sweet,” Megan gags as they part, bringing a smile to both their faces.  
  
“Feel better now?” Jared asks.  
  
“Yes, infinitely,” Jensen replies.   
  
“Come on, Jared,” Megan tugs at him.  “We’re never going to get out of here if you two don’t stop making eyes at each other.”  
  
“She’s right, you know,” Jensen says.  “I’ll give you a call when we’re done.”  
  
“Okay,” Jared agrees.  “Love you.”  
  
“Love you,” Jensen returns as Megan drags Jared away.  
  
Jared can feel Jensen’s eyes on him until they’ve joined the other Betas and exited the building.  Chad latches onto him the moment they’re outside, grinning like a loon as Sophia takes his other side.  It’s been college since he last saw them, and it seems they’ve done quite well for themselves.  He would have never guessed that he and his two friends would become Pack Betas.  
  
“Jay-man,” Chad laughs, throwing an arm around Jared’s shoulders.  “Look at you.  All grown up and Beta of Dallas.”  
  
“Same could be said for you,” Jared grins back, happy to be around his friend again.  “I would have never guessed you were a beta.”  Especially with the way he whored around campus with all of the swagger of an alpha.  
  
“Likewise,” Chad agrees.  “And I’d be kind of hurt that you never told me, but I can understand.  As for me, I never really thought about it until I saw my alpha.  She changed my mind, dude.”  
  
“Good to hear,” Jared says.  “So someone mentioned burgers?  Because I’m starving.”  
  
“You’re  _always_  starving,” Megan rolls her eyes.  
  
Chad talks his ear off the whole way to the restaurant, giving him the story of how he met Alona, his blonde alpha goddess--Chad's words, not Jared's--and became Pack Beta of Lubbock.  
  
"Probably one of the biggest shit holes in Texas," Chad says after they're seated and have ordered.  "Other than Houston.  Hey! You know what the only good thing about Houston is?"  
  
Jared gets the feeling he might regret this.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's not Detroit!" Chad laughs at his own joke and Jared smiles and shakes his head before turning to Sophia and asking about her.   
  
She tells him about her mate, the Alpha of Beaumont, how they met, and how life has been to her since he dropped out of college.  She's just as kind and sweet as he remembers.  She asks about what he's been doing since they last saw each other, and he's about to answer when Chad slaps him on the shoulder and butts in.  
  
“Dude, so you and Ackles,” Chad makes a suggestive face.  
  
“Uh, yes?” Jared answers.  With Chad, he never knows which direction a conversation will go.  
  
“You gonna give me the deets?” Chad asks.  “It’d really help my standing with all of these gossipy chicks if I got the story before they did.”  
  
“Chad,” Jared sighs.   
  
“Help a bro out,” Chad begs and Jared catches Sophia mumbling something about how she can't believe she ever thought dating Chad was a good idea before striking up a conversation with another Beta.  It makes him smile.  
  
“It’s really boring,” Jared says.  
  
“Doubtful,” Chad counters.  “He was the last hold out in the state.  Everyone wants to know what finally got him to settle down and claim a mate.”  
  
“We met, we kind of courted, and then we mated,” Jared states.  
  
“I am ashamed to know such a dreadful storyteller,” Chad says dramatically.  
  
“Alright, fine,” Jared grumbles and gives him a less basic rundown.  
  
“So you seriously didn’t know he wanted to bone you until the night he marked you?” Chad asks inelegantly.  
  
“Really?  That’s all you have to say?” Jared rolls his eyes.  “I don’t even know why we’re friends sometimes.”  
  
“It’s my sparkling personality and stunning good looks, of course,” Chad grins.  
  
“Of course,” Jared agrees with a laugh.  
  
“So what’s with the sexual tension?” Chad whispers, showing more discretion than Jared would have credited him with.  “Don’t look at me like that.  I know a blue balls face when I see one.  When’s the last time you guys…,” he makes a lewd gesture.  
  
Jared smacks his hands away and makes sure no one’s paying them any attention.  
  
“The night before my Dad had me kidnapped,” Jared admits.  “And it’s driving me crazy.”  
  
“You want my advice?” Chad asks.  
  
Jared wants to say  _no_ , but he’s staying to feel pretty desperate at this point and it’s not like a refusal will stop Chad from coming up with the most ridiculous, depraved thing he can think of and telling Jared anyway.  
  
“Knock yourself out,” Jared says instead.  
  
As soon as Chad opens his mouth, Jared knows for sure that it’s a mistake.  The only good thing that’s happening is that no one is paying them any mind and Chad’s keeping his voice remarkably quiet.   
  
Jared shakes his head as Chad finishes the most in depth, ludicrous plan Jared never even thought was physically possible.  
  
“So, what do you think?” Chad asks with a grin.  
  
“Dude, that was really unhelpful and also kind of disturbing,” Jared replies.  
  
“And don’t you forget it,” Chad seems so proud.  
  
A few minutes later Jared’s phone vibrates in his pocket.  They’re all having a great time at the restaurant, sated with food and good company, and he’s surprised to find that hanging out and getting to know some of the other Betas, and listening to an almost neverending stream of  _weird_  and  _wrong_ from Chad, has almost completely taken his mind off of missing Jensen.   
  
 _Hey_ , is Jensen’s text.  
  
 _Hey_ , Jared replies.  
  
 _How’s it going?_  Jensen responds.  
  
 _Great.  We’re just hanging out at the Hard Rock Café_ , he reports and then sends  _Are you guys done yet?_  
  
 _Miss me that much?_  Jensen replies and Jared can practically feel him smile through their bond.  
  
 _You know it_ , he answers.   
  
 _We’ve got a little bit more to do and then I’ll be free,_  Jensen says.  _Can I take you and Megan to dinner tonight?_  
  
 _You had me at dinner_ , Jared laughs to himself.  
  
 _You’re easy_ , Jensen teases him.   
  
 _Only for you_ , Jared responds.   
  
“Are you texting him?” Megan asks, leaning over him as she appears behind him and peering down at his phone that he’s trying to hide because it's none of her business.  
  
“He’s just concerned,” Jared says.  “And he misses me.”  
  
“And you miss him,” Megan grins slyly.   
  
 _Let me know when you’re done_ , Jared taps out and then  _love you_.  
  
 _Love you too_ , comes back with a surge of warmth through their bond and Jared can’t help the smile that crosses his face.  
  
They stay for a little while longer at the restaurant and then head out to the Riverwalk again, Megan and Sophia dragging them into various souvenir shops.  Jared contemplates a few items, but decides against wasting any money on frivolous crap that he grew up drowning in.  He doesn't need any reminders and he's sure Jensen will understand.  
  
“There’s the call,” Steve announces as the afternoon begins to decline into early evening, holding up his phone.  “Hey Chris,” he greets his Alpha and then Jared’s phone is ringing.  
  
“You guys done?” Jared asks as he answers the call, Megan and Chad watching him carefully.  
  
“Yeah, we’re done for the night,” Jensen replies.  “How far away are you?”  
  
“Not very,” Jared says.  “We could be there in a few minutes.  I actually think Steve’s trying to herd us all there right now.”  
  
“All right,” Jensen says.  “I’ll just wait for you here.”  
  
“Okay, see you in a few,” Jared responds and then disconnects.

  
* * *

  
Jensen has decided to treat not just Megan and Jared to dinner, but a few of the Alphas along with their Betas as well.  So instead of the semi-private dinner Jared had been expecting, it turns into a group affair, Jared wedged between Jensen and Megan and holding sporadic conversations with Steve and Mike(the Waco Beta) and Kal(the Houston Beta), whose mate it appears is an old childhood friend of Jensen’s.   
  
It isn’t the most comfortable meal, but the other Betas are nice and friendly, including Mike, even though he keeps getting looks from his Alpha for his unruly behavior, and the other Alphas are pleasant and quite sociable.  And while the other Alpha and Beta pairs are touching constantly—Tom allowing Mike to practically climb into his lap, Chris constantly twirling a finger through Steve’s hair, and the Houston Alpha Danneel casually leaning into her Beta and touching him beneath the table—Jensen maintains his distance, even going so far as to make sure Jared keeps his hands to himself.   
  
It frustrates Jared in ways he never knew existed.  How dare Jensen deny him?  What has he done to warrant the way Jensen is acting?  
  
Which is how he comes to be naked on his bed, waiting for his alpha to join him.  He knows Jensen still wants him, can feel it, can sense it, can fucking smell it, that underlying arousal that he's denying.  But he won’t touch Jared and he won’t even let Jared touch him.  Jared thinks it’s completely ridiculous and has to stop before he goes crazy.   
  
Not having sex in his mother’s house is one thing, but denying them both physical closeness even outside of the house when everyone else is all over each other is beyond Jared’s scope of understanding.  Mike and Steve had exchanged sympathetic looks with him, but Jared had shrugged it off, figuring Jensen would give in sooner or later, that maybe he was just too distracted by something else.  But enough is enough, and if Jared has to force a reaction out of Jensen, then so be it.  
  
When Jensen comes back into the room, ready for bed, he fixes a stern look on Jared, making him feel suddenly very self conscious, but Jared squashes it down and steels his resolve.  
  
“Jared, why are you naked?” Jensen asks.  
  
“You know why I’m naked,” Jared replies.  
  
“I haven’t changed my mind,” Jensen says.  “Get dressed, please.”  
  
“I don’t want to,” Jared states, daring Jensen to push this, gearing up for to fight, to push for answers he deserves.  
  
“Jared,” Jensen sighs.  “Could you at least put some shorts on?  I’m prepared to leave the room until you’re decent.”  
  
“Did something happen that I don’t know about?  Did I  _do_ something?” Jared demands.  “What are you punishing me for?”  
  
“What do you mean?” Jensen responds, looking genuinely surprised.  “What are you talking about?”  
  
“The sex I get.  I understand that you feel weird about doing it in this house,” Jared answers.  “But not touching me?  Even in public?  It feels like you’re angry at me or that you don’t want me, that you’re ashamed of me.”   
  
He remembers what it felt like watching all of the other mated pairs show each other affection while he was met with a solid wall of resistance.  
  
“That’s not it, Jay,” Jensen says, going to Jared and sitting in front of him on the bed.  “You’ve got me wrong.”  
  
“Then tell me what’s going on,” Jared says.  “Talk to me, even if you don’t think it’s something I want to hear.  I’d much rather work through things together than this, than you shutting me out and trying to deal with it on your own.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jensen reaches out to him, but stops halfway, as if he’s afraid of touching Jared.  “I’m just… I’m so stressed.  There are so many Alphas here and there’s so much pressure… This is all new for me too, and I never meant to isolate you.  I never meant to make you feel unwanted or anything like that.  I just, I took it too far,” he sighs, finally taking Jared’s hand in his own.  “I’m proud of you, of how strong and beautiful you are.  Hell, it’s all I can do not to parade you around in front of all of the other Alphas to show them how lucky I am.”  
  
“Yeah?  Because that’s not how it feels,” Jared says, letting go of some of his irritation.  
  
“I promise,” Jensen swears.  “And I promise I’ll do better because I never want you to feel like that and I never want to be the one to make you feel like you aren’t enough.”  
  
“I know,” Jared agrees.  “Let me put on some clothes and then we can talk.”  
  
“Thank you,” Jensen says, letting Jared up as he relaxes back onto the bed.  
  
“So, tell me what’s stressing you out,” Jared prompts, rifling around his closet, grabbing some old basketball shorts and a t-shirt from his high school that may or may not be a little tight.   
  
“Where do I even start?” he hears Jensen sigh from the bed as he pulls on the clothes he’s found.  “There’s  _so_ much crap to deal with, and the politics.  It’s kind of hard to get anything done in a room full of Alphas, especially because every single one of us thinks we’re right.  Every point that was brought up turned into a fight,” he pauses.  “I guess it was just always easy to be who I wanted in my own Pack, and now I’ve got all this pressure to be what they want me to be, and I want to respect your mother’s house, and it’s all I can do not to throw you down and take you.  It’s not that I don’t want you, Jay, it’s that if I touch you, I won’t be able to stop.  I’m going to want more, I’m going to want it all.  Do you understand?”  
  
“A little, I think,” Jared concedes as Jensen’s eyes go over his body.  
  
Jared flushes a little under Jensen’s gaze, knowing that look he has and scenting a flare of arousal from his mate.  
  
“God, you’re killing me,” Jensen groans.  
  
“You only have yourself to blame,” Jared smirks, giving Jensen a peek of his stomach as he stretches, his t-shirt riding up.  And yeah, he knows he’s a tease.  “So, did you guys get everything done today?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen answers, hot eyes tracking Jared across the room and lingering over him as he lays down next to Jensen.  “We’re starting the trial tomorrow morning.  And I got you an audience with the Council.”  
  
“You did?” Jared asks, surprised.  He never thought that the Alphas would actually grant him permission to speak before them.   
  
“You’ll need to come with me to the chambers tomorrow.  We’re expecting to get this over with pretty quick,” Jensen explains.  “But we decided to close the trial to everyone, including immediate family, so you’ll only be allowed in for your testimony and then for sentencing.  I tried to get you in for the whole thing, but they shot it down.”  
  
“That’s okay, Jen,” Jared says.  “I’m probably better off not hearing everything, Megan and Jeff too,” he pauses, thinking about how his brother was earlier.  He’d never avoided Jared or brushed him off so quickly before.  It’s kind of got him concerned.  “How was my brother?  You know, in the meeting you guys had?”  
  
“Quiet, reserved,” Jensen answers.  “I think he’s really surprised at what’s going on and that it’s a lot for him to take in.  I mean, he’s got to come to terms with the fact that the Council will likely make a recommendation for his immediate ascension.  It’s less warning than most get before they become Alpha.  Why?  Did he say something to you?”  
  
“He didn’t say  _anything_ , and that’s what has me worried,” Jared replies.  “I think he’s mad at me.”  
  
“Why would you think that?” Jensen asks, scooting across the bed toward Jared, and Jared’s grateful for it, for the comfort closeness to his alpha brings.  
  
“He hardly said anything to me or Meg,” Jared says.  “And this whole mess started with me.  I’m the one who ran away and made my father angry.  He took it out on my mom.  I know he did.  And then when he took me, you challenged him and took him down.  You unseated him and you’re my mate, so he’s probably blaming me for this whole thing.  He probably blames me for everything.”  
  
“Do you?” Jensen asks quietly, putting a warm hand on Jared’s hip and stroking him in soothing circles.  “Do you blame yourself for this?  Do you think it’s your fault that your father chose to hurt you and your mom?  That he chose to take you away from me?”  
  
“No, I guess not,” Jared shrugs, and he believes it but he still feels like shit over how this whole ordeal is affecting his family.  “But it doesn’t make a difference if Jeff hates me.”  
  
“I seriously doubt your brother hates you,” Jensen says.  Jared feels calmer at his touch and the comfort he’s sending to him through their bond.  “He’ll come around.  Just give him a few days to think through everything.”  
  
“I suppose that’s all I really can do,” Jared sighs, settling into Jensen for the night.

* * *

It's cold in the San Antonio Council Hall.  Either that or Jared's just too nervous to properly circulate blood to his extremities.   
  
He's been waiting since his father's trial began this morning and his ass is being too ache from sitting on the hard bench for so long.  When he glances at his watch, it tells him he hasn't been here for as long as it seems.  It just feels like forever, mostly because he's been waiting alone.  
  
There's a slight noise that catches his attention and then the door leading to the Council Chambers opens.  
  
“They’re ready for you,” Jensen says as he comes through.   
  
“Now?” Jared asks, feeling ice flood his veins where he sits, adding to the general feeling of cold.   
  
“You alright?” Jensen asks, and Jared knows his mate can feel the panic welling up inside of him.  
  
Jared nods tightly, but doesn’t really trust his voice at the moment.  He doesn’t even want to stand and feels a little nauseous at the prospect that awaits him beyond those heavy doors.  He’s suddenly not sure he can do this, that he can go in there in front of all of those Alphas and plead his case.  But he knows that he has to, that he’s got to make his objections to having his father executed known.  
  
“You look a little sick, Jay,” Jensen says, squatting down in front of him on the bench.  “You don’t have to do this.”  
  
“Yeah, I do,” Jared argues, reaching for Jensen.  He’s pleased when his Alpha meets him halfway, his warm hands surrounding Jared’s cold fingers.  His touch is steadying and Jared relishes in it while he can, taking strength from his mate as he takes in a few deep breaths and readies himself.  “Okay.  I think I’m good.”  
  
“Are you sure?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared nods.  “I’m sure.”  
  
Jensen gives him a reassuring smile and helps pull him to his feet before leading him into the chambers and up to the stand in front of the Council where he is to give his statement.  Jensen lets go of him as soon as he’s there and steps back to take a seat on the bench behind Jared.  He feels the loss of Jensen’s touch like a punch to the gut.  He’d feel much better with Jensen next to him, protecting him, but he can do this.  He can be brave and stand up in front of the Council and make his mate proud.  
  
“Jared Padalecki,” Jeffrey Dean addresses him.  He’s a little intimidated, not just by Jeffrey Dean, but the whole of the Council.  There are only ten Alphas presiding, but they seem to be the fiercest.  “Pack Beta of Dallas, mate of Dallas Alpha Jensen Ackles, and son of San Antonio Alpha Gerald Padalecki?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared replies softly.  
  
“Your father stands accused of abducting a Pack Beta from his territory by force with the liberal application of silver, and then holding said Beta hostage and denying him release and contact with his Alpha,” Jeffrey Dean states.  “It is a very grievous crime to abduct a Pack Alpha’s mate, one that we take very, very seriously,” he levels hazel eyes at Jared.  “Your Alpha has brought it to our attention that you have some thoughts upon this matter that we should take into consideration for our sentencing.  Speak and be heard, Beta.”  
  
“Thank you, Alphas,” Jared says, glancing back at Jensen who smiles and nods reassuringly.  “I understand that my father’s crime is great.  It took time and thought and planning to pull off.  But I am a rare thing, at least publicly.  I’m sure there are other betas born to Pack Alphas that just keep their heads down and fake it to keep everyone happy.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying what he did was right or acceptable.  It was very wrong, and very traumatic for me and my mate.  And as such, I know that the penalty for this offense is usually death, often with the wronged Alpha given the right to be executioner, but I don’t believe it would be best for this man.”  
  
“Your Alpha has proposed a punishment to the Council,” El Paso Alpha Katie Cassidy speaks.  “He has suggested that the Council remove your father from power and force him to live out the rest of his life with the burden of the silver collar he saw fit to place upon you.  It is also his request that your brother, Jeffrey Padalecki, be instated at once as Pack Alpha of San Antonio and its territory, his status within the state to be determined,” she says.  “Do you agree with this recommendation?”  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” Jared agrees.  “I believe it would be a far worse punishment than death for him to live with the knowledge that he has a beta son who is happy and loved.”  
  
“Thank you for your time, Beta,” Jeffrey Dean says, dismissing him.  “We shall confer on this matter and then deliver our decision.  Adjourned.”

  
* * *

  
“You did really well, Jared,” Jensen says in the small meeting room outside of the Council Chambers.  “I’m so proud of you.”  
  
“They were really scary,” Jared comments.  “But thank you for getting me an audience with them,” he says.  “Although, I don’t know how much it mattered.”  
  
“It matters a lot,” Jensen says.  “I petitioned for you to speak in my place.  They’ll carry your words with the same weight they would mine.”  
  
“Jen, you didn’t have to do that,” Jared says, shocked that his Alpha did that for him, let him take his place.  He knows Jensen still spoke, but he’s never heard of a Pack Alpha that held their Beta so equally and insisted others do the same.  
  
“But I did,” Jensen counters.  “I knew you had concerns you wanted to voice and I convinced the Council that your perspective was as important to the situation as mine.”  
  
“Are any of the other Alphas as amazing as you?” Jared asks with no small amount of awe.  “Because if they aren’t they need to start taking notes.”  
  
Jensen just smiles bashfully, like he isn’t used to Jared fangirling out over him just yet.  Then Jensen moves into Jared, pushing him to hop up onto the table as Jensen leans into him.  Jared spreads his thighs open, letting Jensen settle in between them and he smells his mate, the Alpha’s familiar scent making him feel protected and content.  
  
“I would do anything for you,” Jensen says softly.  “Anything.”  
  
“I know,” Jared smiles, looping his arms around Jensen’s waist and pulling him close, just enjoying being near his mate.  
  
There’s a soft knock at the door and then a small brunette Jared recognizes as the Laredo Beta pokes her head in.  
  
“Alpha, Beta,” she addresses them.  “The Council is ready to present their decision.”  
  
“Thank you, Sandy,” Jensen says.  “We’ll be there in a minute.”  
  
She nods and leaves, and Jared’s heart is pounding in his chest.  These people could really sentence his father to die, and it’s not like he’s been the best parent or anything, but Jared doesn’t think he deserves execution.  
  
“Come on,” Jensen says, helping Jared off the table.  
  
Jensen leads him back into Council Chambers with a supportive hand on his back and Jared’s glad for it.  He thinks he might not have made it without his Alpha.  They take their place with the rest of Jared’s family and then Jeffrey Dean calls everyone to order.  
  
“Gerald Padalecki, step forward,” he commands and Jared’s father obeys.  “We, the Alpha Council, after hearing testimonials and reviewing evidence of your crime, find you guilty of the abduction and imprisonment of the Dallas Pack Beta and mate to the Dallas Alpha.  After hearing and taking the accounts of your son into careful consideration, we hereby sentence you as the Dallas Alpha has recommended.   
  
“You are stripped of your title, position, lands, and wealth, to be inherited immediately by your eldest son, Jeffrey Padalecki.  You are to live the remainder of your days in seclusion with or without your mate, as we leave the choice to her.  You are not to employ servants nor will you ever be allowed to leave San Antonio territory.  You will be fitted with a collar made of pure silver and leather as well as an electronic monitoring device to be worn at all times, without exception,” Jeffrey Dean states.  “If you are found in violation of any of these conditions, our leniency will be immediately rescinded and you will be either executed or branded an omega and banished from the state of Texas.  Do you understand?”  
  
“Yes,” Gerald responds with a glare to Jared.  
  
“It is the will of the Council that this be your sentencing, beginning now,” Jeffrey Dean strikes the gavel.  “Mr. Padalecki, please surrender yourself to the custody of the Pack Authority to begin serving your sentence.  Council is adjourned.”  
  
Jared breathes a deep sigh of relief and sags against Jensen.  His father is not going to be executed, not so long as he adheres to the terms.  He looks around the room to find his mother crying as they take his father away, his sister comforting her while his brother sits in shock.  
  
There’s a scuffle from the back of the chambers as Jared’s father makes one more attempt at them.  He’s caught quickly and snarls viciously in their direction, startling his whole family as Jensen puts himself between Gerald and Jared.  
  
“You should have asked for my head, Ackles!” Gerald growls.  
  
“You’re lucky I didn’t,” Jensen bites back, eyes flashing bright and teeth lengthening and sharpening right before Jared’s eyes.  “The council’s still here.  Want me to arrange a little change in your sentencing?” he threatens.  
  
“Jensen,” Jared whispers, reaching out for contact with his alpha, trying to ground him as the attention of the entire chamber is on them.  
Jensen flinches at his name, but Jared can also see the softening of his shoulders, the relaxation that comes over him at the slightest touch from his beta.  
  
“Not today, Padalecki,” Jensen stands firm, less venom and more authority in his voice.  “Death would be too clean for a man like you.  Jared’s right.  The only thing worse for you than death is having to live with yourself.  I only hope your memory is the last thing to go in the twilight of your life, that everything else will abandon you--your strength, your speech, your health--but never the knowledge of your son, my mate, my  _beta_.”  
  
“Watch your back.  I’ve got more power than you know,” Gerald grits his teeth, seething as he’s hauled back by two guards.  “I’ll make you both pay for this!”  
  
“No, you won’t,” Jensen assures him and nods to the guards to take Gerald away.  “You okay?” he asks, turning to Jared.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared says, blowing out a shaky breath.  “It’s just… post-traumatic stress.  Seeing him like that brings back some horrible memories.  But you make it all better,” he offers Jensen a weak smile.   
  
“I’m sorry I lost my head,” Jensen says, pulling Jared into his arms.  Jared goes willingly, happily, wanting nothing more than the reassuring touch of his Alpha.   
  
“It’s okay,” Jared responds, taking a deep breath of Jensen’s smell, letting it wash away all of the bad feelings his father evokes.  “He can’t hurt me anymore.  You made sure of that,” he pulls back a little, watching Jensen watch him closely.  “That’s all that matters.”

* * *

They hold Jeff's Alpha ceremony that evening.  
  
There are cameras everywhere, each one designated to carry some facet of the ceremony out to those of the Pack who were not allowed to witness this event in person, which just so happens to be most of San Antonio and its territories.  
  
Jared’s rather glad that his father is in custody right now.  He doesn’t really think the man deserves any kindness past what the council granted him, and he knows the power hungry ex-Alpha would probably try to stop them from crowning his brother Alpha in his stead.  
  
As Jared looks him over, Jeff appears to be a combination of angry and nervous, and it shows in his scent.  It’s typically a happy event when a new Alpha rises, with parties and parades and celebrations, but Jeff’s made it obvious that he is not pleased and has no intentions of rejoicing in his elevation, remaining determinedly grim.  
  
“Jeffrey Padalecki,” the Head of the San Antonio Council begins.  “Kneel and repeat after me.”  
  
Jeff sinks to one knee, face tight and serious in the dim light of the room.  Jared wonders if he’ll ever forgive him for contributing to getting their father locked away.  He hasn’t said one word to Jared since the sentencing.  Jeff’s voice is stern and strong as he repeats the vows of the San Antonio Alpha, promising to protect the Pack and guide it, to treat it like his family, and always put the needs of the Pack above his own.  
  
Jeff swears his oath to the Pack and then stands as the San Antonio Council pronounce him Alpha.  Jared’s proud of him in that moment, even if Jeff’s pissed off at him, and he hopes his brother will break the cycle of dictators in the San Antonio Pack.  He watches Jeff as he puts on a front, smiling and shaking hands with the other Pack leaders in attendance, making his way from Alpha to Alpha as they congratulate him.  
  
Jeff’s demeanor changes when he catches sight of Jared and Jensen, coming over to them as soon as he can.  Jensen gives Jared a soft look and touches him gently as he stiffens next to his Alpha, not wanting to bear any of his brother’s wrath and afraid that this will only get ugly.  But then Jeff’s taking Jensen’s hand and clapping the Alpha on the shoulder, eyes intense, but completely devoid of any of their earlier severity.  
  
“Thank you, Alpha,” Jeff says, voice kind and gentle.  “I cannot properly express my gratitude for what you have done for my brother and my family.  You have the respect of this Pack, and in us, you will always have an ally.”  
  
“Thank you, Alpha,” Jensen says.  
  
“No, no,” Jeff shakes his head.  “You saved my brother.  You changed his life and gave him love he never thought he’d have.  I will be forever in your debt for that alone,” he says seriously, turning to Jared then.  “I always knew you were a beta, JT,” he begins, releasing his hold on Jensen as the other Alpha watches the scene play out carefully.  “It never mattered to me, but it did to our father, and I’ll never forgive myself for not stepping in when I should have, for not being a good brother or a good alpha.  But I promise to change things, to make San Antonio a Pack you can be proud of.”  
  
“You’re my brother, Jeff, and I love you,” Jared states, pulling Jeff into a fierce hug.  “And I never blamed you for anything.  He’d have torn your throat out if you stood up for me.”  
  
“Doesn’t matter,” Jeff insists, tightening his hold on Jared a little.  “It wasn’t right and I knew it.  I’m sorry I was too scared, that I wasn’t strong enough, but I’ll never be ashamed of my beta brother," Jeff declares, pulling back and letting Jared go back to his mate’s side.  “My little brother, Pack Beta of Dallas.  I’m so proud of you.”  
  
“Thanks,” Jared grins shyly, leaning into Jensen a little, taking comfort in the Alpha’s closeness.  
  
“Take good care of my boy, Alpha,” Jeff requests of Jensen.  
  
“I will,” Jensen promises him.   
  
The Alphas nod at each other and then Jeff moves on to the next Alpha, continuing his way around the crowd.  
  
“Was this how your Alpha ceremony was?” Jared asks.  
  
“No,” Jensen replies, making a face.  “Mine was a very public affair,” he states.  “Mine involved most of my territory attending and several press events afterward.  It was extremely uncomfortable.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jared sympathizes, but it’s not hard for him to imagine his very private alpha putting on a brave face and going through the motions of becoming Dallas Alpha.  
  
“Don’t worry about it,” Jensen shrugs it off.  “I knew what I signed up for.  Just be glad I managed to change the regulations on how my Beta was to be recognized.  You would  _not_  have liked that, take my word for it.”  
  
“All right,” Jared agrees, mildly curious, but not enough to push it as Chris and Steve wander over in their direction.  
  
“So, how long do you think it’ll be before Mike turns this thing into a party?” Chris asks.  
  
“I’d give it about ten minutes,” Jensen answers.  “Tom never can get Mike to behave himself, especially when there’s a chance to turn a quiet reception into a full blown circus.”  
  
“Can you blame him?” Chris glances around the ballroom.   
  
Sure enough, the Waco Beta is trying to organize a dance on a portion of the floor and also appears to be trying to rig his phone to the sound system in the ballroom.  
  
“Hey losers,” Mike greets as he flits their way, shoving a cup of punch in everyone’s hand.  “This should make you more pleasant, Christian,” he grins, winking at the Alpha as Chris glares at him and Steve chuckles behind his cup.  
  
Jared just kind of stares, not knowing if he should trust the drink or not.  He kind of wants to taste it, though.  It’s pink and bubbly and smells alright, but he thinks about Mike and his rumored shenanigans and isn’t really sure he wants to take any chances.  
  
“Where’s your alpha?” Chris asks.  
  
“Probably hiding in a corner, hanging his head in shame,” Mike says casually.  “Where do you think he is?  He’s dancing, like a good alpha, and _I’m_  about to join him,” he rolls his eyes and takes a drink as he runs off to his alpha, pulling Tom close and grinding against him to the beat of the music.  
  
“Do you think it’s odd how Mike seems to take the lead in their relationship?” Jensen asks, looking dubiously at his cup.  
Chris laughs and claps Jensen on the back.  
  
“Funny you mention that.  You know you don’t have to pretend with me and Steve, Jen,” he says with a grin.  “We all know that you might be the alpha, but your beta’s the one calling all the shots here too.”  
  
“What’s that supposed to mean, Kane?” Jensen demands.  
  
“Just that out of the two of you, he’s definitely got more control,” Chris clarifies.  “He’s opinionated, strong willed.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  At least you know he won’t put up with your shit.”  
  
“I beg to differ,” Steve speaks up, giving Jared an amused look.  “I find Jared to be very patient and tolerant.  And I know for a fact that he puts up with a lot of Jensen’s shit.”  
  
“Hey!” Jensen defends and Jared has to hide a laugh behind his cup.  
  
“I’m just saying that I think Jenny’s so whipped he lets his beta have all the control,” Chris says.  
  
“And I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Steve argues.  “He adores his beta and trusts him and Jared returns everything tenfold.  Besides, it’s not like you’re any different.”  
  
“Excuse me?” Chris almost inhales his drink while Jensen and Jared laugh.  
  
“Nothing, dear,” Steve says, trying not to laugh as well.  “So, Jared, I heard a rumor about you.”  
  
“Oh?” Jared asks, very interested in what Steve has heard.  
  
“There’s talk along the grapevine that you’re a carrier,” Steve says quietly.   
  
“Where’d you hear that?” Jensen asks, bristling a little beside Jared.  They haven’t exactly told anyone yet.  
  
“Let’s just say we have the same doctor and I have a certain knack for knowing things I shouldn’t,” Steve answers, a kind and understanding smile on his face.  “Maybe we should talk sometime.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared replies, smiling back.  “That’d be great.”  
  
“Jenny,” Chris grins, patting Jensen on the back again.  “That’s incredible.  Congratulations, man.”  
  
“Thanks,” Jensen beams proudly at Jared and it makes Jared wish for things he’s never wanted before this alpha, like Jensen’s pup growing inside of him.  He can only imagine how proud Jensen would be then.  
  
“We’re going to go make the rounds,” Chris announces, putting his arm around Steve and giving Jensen a significant look.  “You know how it is.”  
  
“Sure, man,” Jensen nods.  “See you in a bit.”  
  
They’re quiet for a moment after Chris and Steve wander off, and they find a place to set down the cups Mike, who now has his tie wrapped around his head, gave them, Jensen apparently not trusting the beta as far as he can throw him either.  Jensen’s still and silent and it kind of frustrates Jared.  He wants to talk, to touch, but he can’t figure out how to begin or even what he’d want to talk about if he could.   
  
Jared decides to test the water, brushing his hand over Jensen’s, just to see how he’ll react.  He isn’t disappointed when Jensen catches his hand, holding it gently as he turns his gaze to Jared.  He smiles, just a small one, but it reaches his eyes and then Jared’s smiling back, happy and comfortable where they are.   
  
They watch the scene unfold before them, Mike actually managing to get a party organized and a bar opened up in one corner where it seems a fair number of wolves are loosening up, more or less.  It’s then that Jared sees Chris make eye contact with Jensen and wave him over.  Jared knows Jensen’s going to go, that they’ve probably got some more Alpha business to attend to, even though he just wishes that he could have Jensen all to himself.  
  
“I’ve got to go speak to some of the Alphas,” Jensen says, giving Jared an apologetic look.  “Will you be alright if I leave you for a bit?”  
  
“I’m a big boy, Jen,” Jared smiles.  “I’ll be fine.”  
  
“Thanks, baby,” Jensen says with a smile in return and then heads off to a group of Alphas halfway across the room.  
  
He barely gets five minutes to himself--which just so happens to be plenty long enough to get to thinking about Jensen and himself and their total lack our reunion sex--before he spots Mike heading his way with Tom in tow, both definitely a little inebriated this time.  
  
“Now, that’s a poop face if I’ve ever seen one,” Mike comments loudly, flipping the end of his tie over his shoulder like it’s a pony tail as they approach Jared.  
  
“Play nice,” he hears Tom warn Mike, voice low but a smile still on his face.  
  
“I am.  But I’m just concerned about Jay-man,” Mike protests.  “It’s obvious that he’s feeling a bit lonely here and I just want to help him out.  Now,” he turns to Jared and Jared wonders for a second if he should have got up and left when he had the chance.  “Is someone being ignored?” he asks, very serious.   
  
“It’s not like that,” Jared defends Jensen.  “He’s got some important things to do, and I don’t want to get in the way.”  
  
“More important than his beta?” Mike asks.  “Bullshit.  Jenny’s just gotten complacent and is happily schmoozing the other Pack Leaders because he doesn’t think you’ll rock the boat,” he says.  “But you should.”  
  
“Should what, exactly?” Jared asks.   
  
“You need to remind him that you’re here and you will not be put on the back burner,” Mike smiles.  
  
“And what do you suggest I do?” Jared asks.  “I can hardly keep his attention even when we’re alone.  He’s got all of these wolves here to deal with and the last thing he needs is to be worried about me.  I don’t want to cause him any problems.”  
  
“The last thing?  No, no.  The  _first_  thing he should be worried about is you,” Mike shakes his head.  “Back me up on this, Tom,” he says.  “There is _nothing_  more important than an alpha’s beta, there is  _nothing_  he needs but you, and there is absolutely no alpha on the face of the Earth that can resist their beta when they call.”  
  
“Call?” Jared asks.  “What do you mean?”  
  
“Unleash the beast, dude,” Mike replies.  “You let the beta in you tell the alpha in him how blue your balls are and he’ll be powerless to resist you.”  
  
“Really?” Jared asks, not quite sure if he believes the beta or not.  
  
“Tommy?” Mike cues, cutting his eyes over to his alpha.  
  
“It’s true, Jared,” Tom agrees.  “You throw everything you’ve got at him and he’ll surrender.  Fast.”  
  
“Faster than the French,” Mike comments.  “And if you do it in front of, let’s say a whole ballroom full of alphas, he won’t be able to help himself, right baby?”  
  
“If my beta did that, I’d be liable to club him over the head and drag him back to my den, so to speak,” Tom says.  “But I don’t know if I’d suggest it.  You’d be playing with fire.”  
  
“But it’d work?  It’d get his attention?” Jared asks.  
  
“Oh, yes.  It’d get Jensen’s attention,” Tom responds.  “Something you need to understand is that an alpha’s need to satisfy his beta is hard enough to resist by itself.  If you’re actively seeking out a mating, it’s even harder.  And if you add in that everyone else can sense it… well, I know I’d be insanely jealous and protective.  I’d want to get my beta away from every other wolf as soon as possible.  What I’d do to him, though, is another story.”  
  
“You’d be mad,” Jared assumes.  
  
“I’d be livid,” Tom states.  “But I’d never hurt Mike, just like I know Jensen would never hurt you.”  
  
“Have you tried talking to him?” Genevieve, the Laredo Alpha, asks as she comes over to their little group.  “Sorry to barge in, but I just overheard you when I walked by.”  
  
“It’s all right,” Jared smiles.  “And I’ve tried talking to him, but he always changes the subject or decides the conversation is over.  Does it normally work for you?”  
  
“She’s a  _woman_ ,” Mike scoffs.  
  
“She’s an  _alpha_ ,” Jared points out.  “So does it?” he turns his attention back to Gen.  
  
“For the most part, it does, but when it doesn’t, Sandy walks around our house naked,” Gen grins wickedly.  “That usually does the trick.”  
  
“I can’t take my clothes off,” Jared grumbles.  “I’ve already tried that.  He makes me put them back on.”  
  
“Well, I can’t say that Mike’s is a good plan,” Gen says.  “But desperate times call for desperate measures and it’ll be effective.  You’ll get your results, but you might get more than you bargained for.  Alphas have been known to overreact when it comes to their betas, just so you’re warned.”  
  
“Noted,” Jared responds.  
  
“Oh, if you do this,” Mike begins, leaning in close like he’s sharing a secret.  “Wear some silver, because the more pheromones you release, the harder it’ll be to think straight.  You’ve got some, right?”  
  
"Not with me,” Jared replies.   
  
"You're in luck then!" Mike says, digging in his pocket.  "It's not much, but it should help."  
  
He hands Jared a thin cord with a silver medallion embedded in something shiny and black.   
  
"Just give it back after you're done," Mike says.  
  
"Thanks, man," Jared responds.  
  
“Anytime,” Mike winks.  “Good luck, dude,” he says to Jared before shoving a hand into the back pocket of Tom’s jeans, earning him a look from the Alpha that Jared doesn’t even  _want_  to try and interpret.  “Come on, Tommy.  All of this talk has me all hot and bothered.”  
  
Jared rolls his eyes at Mike’s comment, but can’t help but feel left out as Tom pulls him close and nuzzles him affectionately.  Mike lights up like a Christmas tree seconds later at whatever it is Tom has whispered into his ear, and then he’s practically dragging his alpha from the room as fast as he can.  
  
It seems as though it’s not his fate to be left alone tonight as an Alpha he recognizes slips up next to him where he’s perched against the wall where Jensen left him.   
  
“So Jared, Beta of Dallas,” the pretty redhead says.  “Not the party type?”  
  
“Not so much,” Jared admits.   
  
“Me neither,” she agrees.   
  
“Danneel, right?  Houston Alpha?” Jared asks.  His memory is a bit fuzzy, but he thinks that’s where she’s from.  
  
“The one and only,” she confirms as she flashes him a smile.  “So you’re the one who finally got Jensen to settle down,” she comments, looking at him appraisingly.  
  
“Apparently,” he blushes a little.  “I don’t want to seem rude, but how do you know Jensen?” Jared asks, curious.  
  
“We were the best of friends growing up.  We even made a marriage pact when we were kids,” she laughs.  “Oh, don’t worry!” she says at the look on his face, which he’s sure isn’t a good one.  “Neither of us were very serious about it.  You’ve got to see it from our perspective.  We were both second in line for the Alpha positions and neither of us thought we’d ever be where we are today, that we’d ever actually be Alpha, so we made a deal that we’d get married if nothing else happened.  We figured it’d be better to be married to your best friend than take a risk on someone else.”  
  
“What happened?” he asks.  
  
“Well, my brother died in a motorcycle crash,” she says casually but he can still see the pain of his death behind her eyes.  “When he was gone, it passed to me to take up the Alpha position in my Pack.  And then the whole thing with Josh happened.”  
  
“What thing with Josh?  Who is Josh?” Jared asks.   
  
“You don’t know?” she questions him.  “He hasn’t told you what happened to his brother?”  
  
“I didn’t know he had one,” Jared admits, feeling confused and a little hurt that Jensen hadn’t told him about his brother, but then again, maybe it was common knowledge in Dallas.  Jared hasn’t exactly been in the loop with Pack news.  Being on the run will do that to a guy.  “He only ever talks about Mackenzie.”  And even that’s rare.  
  
“You should ask him,” Danneel insists.  “It’s really not my place to say anything else.”  
  
“That’s okay,” he says.  “I understand.”  
  
“But you really seem to make him happy,” she says, trying to placate him with a soft smile and a hand on his arm.  “It’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him,” she glances toward Jensen where he’s speaking with Chris and a few other Alphas, eyes moving to Jared every few seconds.   
  
“He makes me happy too,” Jared says, feeling warmth return at the sight of his alpha.  Jensen’s brother can wait for later, but Jared still wants Jensen right now.  
  
“I’m glad to know that,” Danneel says, her dark eyes finding her mate on the other side of the room.  Jared can see it the second it happens, the moment they make a connection and the urge to touch becomes too great.  He just wishes his alpha would give in too, like all the rest of them.  “It was really great meeting you, Jared.  I wish the circumstances had been better, but I’m sure we’ll have many opportunities in the future.”  
  
“Me too,” Jared gives her a smile and watches her go, determination to get Jensen to break burning hotter than ever.  
  
Finally alone, it’s time to implement Mike’s crazy plan, and Jared untangles the corded necklace Mike loaned him and slips it on, feeling the metal dampen his senses just enough.  He stops trying to hold his want back, willing it toward his alpha as he chats and smiles with the others around him.  Jared thinks of anything he can to boost his desire for his alpha, pushing along their bond, imagining Jensen naked and hard for him, asking him what he wants and ordering him to beg Jensen for his knot.  And yeah, that does it.   
  
Jared likes getting knotted, like  _really_  likes it.  He doesn’t even remember what was so great about sex before having Jensen’s knot in him and it doesn’t take long for his cock to get hard enough in his pants to hurt as it starts to leak against his boxers.  He keeps his eyes on Jensen and keeps pushing his want out toward him, waiting and watching for any signs that his alpha’s will is beginning to crumble.  
  
And then it hits him hard, how much he’s wanted Jensen all week long and how difficult it’s been every time Jensen’s denied him and held him at arm’s length.  All of the repressed want and every single ounce of frustration rushes through him as the wall he built comes tumbling down and Jared finds himself in the middle of a very strong, very sudden fever.  He needs his alpha fucking  _yesterday_.  
  
But his mate still appears aloof and it really frustrates Jared how much self control Jensen seems to possess.  He knows how much effort it takes for a mated alpha to resist the call of their beta, to withstand the force of the burning need to take and mark and fuck until they’re both too tired to move and too satisfied to care.  From talking with Tom and Gen and watching Danneel, he knows how strong, how compelling the drive is for an alpha to _breed_  their beta, and yet Jensen has been the very picture of composure for the better part of a week.   
  
The gloves have officially come off.  This dry spell ends tonight.  
  
Jared normally wouldn’t listen to someone like Mike, but the beta has a valid point.  And so Jared’s following his advice, letting go of his control and allowing  _everyone_  and their dog—pun not intended—smell his desire for his mate.  He’d be a little embarrassed by his brazen and wanton behavior except for the fact that it’s actually starting to work.   
  
He’s watching Jensen talk to Jeffrey Dean and Katie now, polite and poised as always but for the rigid line of his back, the tic in his jaw, and how often he has to shift to make room for that massive erection Jared just  _knows_  he’s sporting.  His resolve appears to be crumbling and Jared’s beginning to get to him.  He’s pretty convinced right now that Mike is a genius, and that can only mean that there’s definitely something wrong with him, but it’s working.  
  
And it’s not that he doesn’t see where Jensen is coming from with this whole abstinence policy.  He gets that Jensen thinks it’s inappropriate to have sex in his mother’s house, but a man has needs, and Jared  _needs_ Jensen.  He’s been half a second away from forcing himself on his alpha every time they’re in the same room for days.  The only thing that’s helping him right now is the silver medallion, which he’s glad Mike gave him to wear.  It’s at least suppressed his unexpected, self-induced fever enough for him to think, even though the only thing he has the clarity to think about is Jensen and how best to get him naked.  
  
Jensen flicks his eyes over to Jared and Jared watches as he makes his excuses and wishes the two Alphas a good night.  Jared settles in, preparing himself to endure his mate playing politics with more of the Pack Alphas when he catches Jensen nodding to Chris before turning directly toward Jared.  His pulse races as he meets Jensen’s eyes, the Alpha approaching fast.  Those green eyes of Jensen’s are glowing and intense and Jared thinks about coming in his pants.  
  
“Come,” Jensen orders, voice low and leaving no room for discussion.  
  
Jared follows him from the ballroom without a second thought.  He knows Jensen is angry with him, but Jared can’t really care.  He’s going to get what he wants from his mate tonight if it’s the last thing he does.  Even if Jensen’s pissed.  Angry sex is better than no sex, he figures.  
  
They stand in the lobby, Jensen refusing to look his way as they wait for the elevator to arrive.  When it does, Jensen ushers Jared into the elevator and pushes the button for the seventh floor.  Jared’s a little confused about why they’re going up where rooms are, but he doesn’t dare open his mouth and break the quiet.  
  
He’s also a little disappointed when Jensen doesn’t jump him in the elevator.  Even if he’s mad, it would have been hot.  Instead, his alpha bears the ride up in simmering silence, the air between them tense and thick enough to cut with a knife, leaving Jared a vibrating mess of want with no idea of what’s really going on in his mate’s head.  And he really wishes Jensen would just do  _something_  already.  The anticipation is practically killing him.  
  
The elevator dings open blessed seconds later and Jensen steps out, Jared following as he knows is expected of him.  He’s close behind his alpha, watching his long and confident stride, and they’re halfway down the hall when Jared slips the silver medallion off, stuffing it into his jacket.   
  
The scent of Jensen’s potent desire slams into him like a freight train and he has to catch himself on the wall to keep from stumbling and falling, finding himself suddenly on unsteady legs.   
Jensen slides a key card into a door and pushes it open when the light flashes green, waiting for Jared to get inside before shutting and locking it.  
  
“Are you trying to get in trouble?” Jensen snaps, taking hold of Jared faster than he expected shoving him face-first into the wall before draping himself over Jared's back, nose tickling the hair at Jared's nape.  
  
Jared shivers at Jensen’s strength.  Having the Alpha overpower him so easily makes his skin flush hot and his blood burn through his veins.  He knows he was asking for it, acting so boldly in front of other Pack Alphas, letting  _everyone_  smell how hot he is for his mate and daring Jensen to do something about it in front of everyone.  
  
“Just trying to get your attention,” Jared rasps, pushing his hips back into Jensen’s, smiling at the feel of his mate’s hard dick against his ass.  
  
“Well, you’ve got it now.  _All_  of it.  You sure you can handle what you’ve been asking for?” Jensen demands, breath hot against Jared’s ear.  “What you’ve been  _begging_  for?” he punctuates with a thrust that rocks Jared into the wall.  
  
“God yes,” Jared groans as Jensen’s teeth close over his bared throat in a display of dominance that turns from hard and punishing to a soft caress, the submissive beta in Jared conceding to his alpha without hesitation.  
  
“So good,” Jensen murmurs.  “All for me,” he says, licking the skin beneath Jared’s ear.  “Mine.”  
  
“Yours,” Jared answers, panting and wanting Jensen to just fuck him already.  
  
“My beta,” Jensen continues, nuzzling into Jared.  
  
“Please, Alpha,” Jared begs, deferring to his mate.  “Need you.”  
  
“I’ve got you,” Jensen soothes him, allowing him to move again.  “I’ll take care of you, Jared.  I always do.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“On the bed,” Jensen commands softly, green eyes intense as they follow Jared to their hotel bed.  “I’ve been neglecting you,” he begins, Jared watching him as he takes out his cufflinks and sets them aside, carefully stripping and laying his clothes out neatly until he’s completely naked.  “I realize now that I wasn't giving you enough. That's all on me.  You should have never felt like you had to act out in order to get the attention you deserve,” he says softly, moving over Jared on the bed.  Jared’s heart beats faster at having his alpha over him, so close to having skin on skin contact again, something he knows they both crave.  “Forgive me?” he asks, eyes kind and pleading in the dim light of the room.  
  
“Anything for you, Jen,” Jared whispers, reaching up to tug at Jensen, pull him close.  “Fuck me now, please?”  
  
Jensen answers with a growl and a hungry kiss, teeth and lips clashing as he dominates Jared completely.  Jared closes his eyes, letting the feeling of being with Jensen take him over, and Jensen opens his mouth against Jared’s, sweeping his tongue inside and growling lightly in the back of his throat.   
  
Jared offers Jensen his immediate submission, tilting his head to the side and baring his throat to his mate.  Jensen takes what’s offered and lowers his mouth the the tender, heated skin of Jared’s neck, licking and nipping with blunted teeth along his hammering pulse right down to his mating mark.  Jared’s breath hitches as Jensen fits his teeth over the scar that bound them together, and his hips buck up into Jensen’s as the Alpha’s tongue licks at the mark.  
  
“Jensen,” Jared groans, hands going to his soft hair and fingers twitching, grasping, wanting to hold Jensen exactly where he is but also to pull him back and kiss him again.  Which is exactly what he does.  
  
Jared locks his fingers in Jensen’s short hair and crashes their mouths together, kissing him hot and dirty as he feels the need for his alpha burning in his gut.  
  
“Let’s get you naked,” Jensen breathes against Jared’s lips, giving him a chaste kiss before nearly tearing Jared’s clothes from his body.  
  
Buttons go flying as Jensen pulls his shirt open and shoves it away.  Jared sits up and gets his cuffs undone as Jensen moves on to his pants, jerking Jared’s belt off in one smooth motion and then pulling his pants and boxers off with such force that he falls back and slides down the bed.  Together, they manage to get everything off of Jared and scramble back up to the head of the bed, Jensen’s burning eyes on Jared the entire time.   
  
Jared loves every second of it.  
  
Jensen pins Jared on his back, rubbing his cheek over Jared’s and then scenting him along his collarbone.   
  
“God, your smell,” Jensen drags in a ragged breath.  “You went into a fever, didn't you?”  
  
“Don’t know how you missed it,” Jared says, arching up against Jensen, seeking out the heat and friction of his body, needing it.   
  
“You smell so…” Jensen’s nose runs up his neck, followed by his tongue, lapping up the fine sheen of sweat and tasting his pheromones.  “Receptive.  God, you’re ready for it, ready for my knot.  I bet you’re dripping wet too.”  
  
“Please,” Jared whines, needing Jensen in him, anything to soothe the ache he feels.  He cries out and bucks against his mate as fingers touch him, grazing across his wet and fluttering hole.   
  
“So wet,” Jensen groans.  “And all for me.”  
  
“For you,” Jared agrees mindlessly.   
  
Jensen rubs his cock against Jared’s hip as he thrusts two fingers in.  If Jared weren’t so hot for it, he might have protested, maybe suggested slowing it down, but he’s been deprived of his mate’s touch for days and he’s not waiting any longer.  He bears down on Jensen’s fingers, fucking himself down on the Alpha’s hand and begging for more.   
  
Jensen complies with his every demand, both verbal and unspoken, playing his body like a virtuoso, knowing exactly what Jared needs and when he needs it.  And after a few minutes of barely decent prep for his already primed body, Jensen pulls his fingers back and lines himself up.  
  
“Ready?” he dares to ask.  
  
“Fucking yes,” Jared growls, tilting his hips up and looking his alpha dead in the eye.  “Get in me.  Now.”  
  
“So demanding,” Jensen chides with an amused smile, taking his cock in hand and guiding himself in.  
  
As soon as the head of his cock breaches Jared, it’s like nothing in his life has ever felt this right.  Jared hates cliches and hates even more that he’s becoming one and thinking in them, but damn.  It’s exactly like fireworks.   
  
Jensen slides all the way in, bottoming out flush against Jared, and Jared feels like he can finally breathe.  At least until Jensen starts thrusting.  He wastes absolutely no time setting up a hard, punishing rhythm that sets Jared’s blood on fire and has him alternately gasping for breath and crying out in pleasure.   
  
Before Jared knows it, Jensen’s knot is growing, stretching him wider with every thrust, and that alone has him wound so tight he thinks he just might choke on his own breath.  He knows he’s just shy of screaming, he knows he’s close, he knows that Jensen’s about to knot him, tie them together, and with a handful more thrusts and Jensen’s harsh grunting in his ears, he ties them, his knot popping in and swelling impossibly larger, locking them together.  
  
Jared comes with a silent cry, head tossed back, back bowed tight, and fingers clutched to Jensen’s sweat-slicked shoulder so hard that he’s bound to leave marks.  Jensen rocks, grinds against him, rubbing his knot against Jared’s prostate, milking his orgasm and dragging it out longer, taking away his ability to draw in air.  
  
As Jared starts to relax, the stars that were exploding behinds his eyes fading as he’s able to breathe again, Jensen picks up his grinding and then comes with Jared’s name on his lips, Jared holding him through the first wave of his orgasm.  Jensen drops his sweaty forehead to Jared’s shoulder, breath hot on Jared’s skin as he shudders and groans softly, his knot pulsing hot come into Jared, and Jared is still a little surprised by how much he likes it.  
“Hey,” Jared says quietly after Jensen’s stopped shaking and jerking into him, his orgasm finally winding down enough to maybe speak in complete sentences.  
  
“Hey,” Jensen says back, voice dark and deep as he gives Jared a lazy, fucked out grin.  
  
“Doing alright?” Jared asks.  
  
“Never better,” Jensen answers, leaning down and kissing Jared slow and sweet, their mouths opening against each other’s but without the urgency of before.   
  
As much as Jared loves the frenzy of their lovemaking, the heat and passion and the total lack of control, he cherishes these moments where it just feels like him and Jensen, together, with all the time in the world to just be with each other, holding each other and loving each other.   
  
It’s not long before Jensen’s knot goes down enough to separate.  He slips out without much difficulty and goes to the bathroom, coming back with a damp cloth that he uses to clean them up before getting back in bed and pulling the covers up over the both of them.   
  
“So, when did you get a room?” Jared asks as they lay entwined, sweaty and sated and lethargic.  
  
“Oh, uh, this afternoon,” Jensen replies.  “I had planned on taking you up here before the night was over, but you apparently had your own agenda.”  
  
“It would have been nice if you’d told me,” Jared says.  “Then I wouldn’t have behaved like I did.  I’m sure it was embarrassing for you.”  
  
“On the contrary, actually,” Jensen counters.  “Yes, I was a little pissed that you acted like that, but it was kind of nice to see all of those other Alphas controlling their reactions to you so viciously.  You weren’t just projecting to me, you know.  They could  _all_  tell how bad you wanted it.”  
  
“Well, now  _I’m_  embarrassed,” Jared grumbles, burying his face in Jensen’s shoulder.  
  
“It’s my fault,” Jensen offers.  “You’re right.  I should have told you.”  
  
“Now I’m going to be  _that slutty Beta from Dallas_  instead of Jared or whatever,” Jared says.  
  
“If anyone says anything like that, I will rip them apart with my teeth,” Jensen growls fiercely, holding Jared tighter.   
  
“Good,” Jared grins and kisses Jensen.  
  
“That’s what you wanted to hear?” Jensen raises an eyebrow at him.   
  
“I love it when you get all growly and protective,” Jared continues to smile as Jensen shakes his head at him.  
  
“Leave it to you,” Jensen begins to smile back.  
  
“So, I’ve got a question,” Jared begins, thinking back to his conversation with Danneel and all of the things he doesn’t know about his alpha.   
  
“Shoot,” Jensen prompts gamely.  
  
“What happened with your brother?” Jared asks.  
  
“You have the worst pillow talk ever,” Jensen says lightly, but his body is tense and rigid beneath Jared’s and his scent goes sharp with surprise.  
  
“I’ve upset you,” Jared states, trying to sit up to get a good look at his alpha, but Jensen holds him fast and doesn’t let go.   
  
“No, you haven’t,” Jensen insists.  “You just caught me by surprise is all.”  
  
“You just never said anything about him and Danneel mentioned something about her brother dying and then yours and--”  
  
“Freaking Danneel,” Jensen grumbles.  “That girl’s mouth has gotten her into more trouble than you can imagine.  I bet she even told you about our secret childhood plan to marry each other.”  
  
“Yeah, she did,” Jared says.  “I thought it was cute.  And a little sweet.”  
  
“You would,” Jensen chuckles softly, trailing off as he drags his fingertips across Jared’s heated skin, the touch tickling and soothing him all at once.  “So, my brother,” Jensen sighs, like he doesn’t quite know how to begin.  
  
“You don’t have to tell me anything,” Jared says.  “I get it that it’s not easy.”  
  
“It’s not that,” Jensen says.  “It’s just… where do I even start?” he pauses.  “Growing up, my brother was everything I wanted to be.  He was strong and fast and so cool.  All of the betas wanted him and all of the alphas wanted to be him.  And he always made time for me.  He made sure he was there when Dad couldn’t be.  He helped me understand that being an alpha didn’t make me any better than anyone else, that it was a responsibility and not a right.  
  
“But then the political climate got intense and things got a little scary for us,” he continues, Jared listening studiously.  “I was just finishing my Masters and Dad was working some new laws in, laws I’ve put into effect since, but there was a lot of opposition and, as a result, some people started taking shots at him, literally.  The death threats were increasing and there were some small protests, and then one day,” he pauses again, swallowing hard.  “There was a man.   
  
“He came up to the steps of the Council building and shot my father and my brother with silver bullets.  My father was rushed to the hospital, bleeding out, and it didn’t look like he’d make it.  It took a long time, but he pulled through,” Jensen says softly, but his voice is intense and Jared knows how hard it is for him to share this with his mate.  “My brother, though, the shot he took… they said the bullet went into his heart and he was dead before he hit the ground.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jared whispers, turning further into his alpha and wrapping himself around the other man, trying his hardest to push out the pain and misery in Jensen’s voice with his warmth and love.   
  
“It’s all right,” Jensen assures him.  “It’s been a while and I’ve done some things I’m not particularly proud of, but the threat has been taken care of.”  
  
“South America?” Jared asks, mind jumping to Jensen’s trip to the Southern Hemisphere before taking up the Alpha mantle.  
  
“It had something to do with it,” Jensen admits.  “I followed the traitors to Brazil.  You see, in South America the Packs are a bit wilder.  Tribal law rules, and an Alpha, even one who hasn’t ascended yet, has a right to his justice in their eyes,” he says.  “I was allowed free reign in their territories and cut down every traitor to my Pack that I could find. Avenging my brother’s death was my last act as my father’s youngest son and my first as Alpha of Dallas.  I couldn’t go back, I couldn’t have faced my father or the Pack until I had retribution.”  
  
They’re quiet for a few minutes and then Jensen speaks again, voice softer and calmer.  
  
“I guess we both have our baggage,” he says.  “I know there’s more you’re not telling me, but I won’t push you because it wouldn’t be fair of me to demand all of your secrets when I still hold some myself.  But in time, I want to.  I want to tell you everything, and I want to know everything you’re willing to tell me.”  
  
“I do too,” Jared agrees.  “It’s just so hard because telling you… it’s like reliving it all over again.  It’s painful sometimes, but I trust you and I love you, and if I had to choose one person, one wolf, to share everything I am, it’d be you.”  
  
“And I’d always choose you, Jay,” Jensen says, giving him a soft kiss.  “Only you.  That’s why I was so panicked when you disappeared, when your father took you from me,” he pulls Jared in tighter.  “All I could imagine was my brother, laying there lifeless and in a pool of his own blood, and I couldn’t stop thinking  _not him, not him_.  If I lost you, I think it’d destroy me.”  
  
“I’m safe now,” Jared reassures him.  “Because of you.  You’re everything your brother hoped you’d be.”  
  
“I hope so,” Jensen says.  
  
“I know so,” Jared argues.

* * *

The first thing Jensen does when they get home is take Jared to bed and fuck him good and hard and long enough that he forgets his own name.  It’s perfect, it’s beautiful, it’s them, and Jared doesn’t think he’s ever felt closer to someone than he does to Jensen.   
  
After an entire day of lying entwined in sweaty, sex-soaked sheets, they trek out to Jensen’s parents’ house, both of them eager to shift in the comfort of the property.  
  
Jared’s not at all prepared for the tight hug Donna scoops him into, clutching him close and breathing a shuddering sigh of relief.   
  
“We’re so happy you’re alright,” she says softly as Jared hugs her back.  
  
“Thank you,” Jared returns, glancing to Alan and then Jensen, both alphas looking upon them fondly.   
  
“We’re just glad to have you back, son,” Alan says, placing a hand on Jared’s shoulder and the other on his mate as she finally lets Jared go.  “And welcome to the family.  Properly, this time.”  
  
“This time?” Jared asks, confused.  
  
Jensen makes a horrible sound, something between a cough and some kind of gurgle, and Alan sputters a bit, giving Jared several non-answers as he flicks an almost sheepish gaze to his son.  At that, Jared levels Jensen a _look_.  
  
“I’ll tell you later,” Jensen states and then pushes into the house.  
  
They sit down for a dinner of Jared and Jensen’s favorite things.  How Donna and Alan knew is beyond Jared, but he’s touched by the gesture and by their welcome and acceptance.  Jared would be lying if he said he didn’t love Jensen’s parents just a little.  Or maybe more than just a little.  
  
After dinner is over, Jared finds himself helping Donna with clean up again while Jensen fills his father in on the events in San Antonio, giving him the details that wouldn’t have been passed to him through the grapevine.   
  
“You know,” Donna says as she hands Jared a plate to dry, “the last time you were here, you swore up and down that Jensen didn’t think of you as a mate.”  
  
“I didn’t want to believe it,” Jared admits, putting the plate away and taking the next one from the beta.  “I thought that if I let myself want this, want _him_ , that it would only lead to disappointment.”  
  
“I think you should know that he knew.  The entire time, he knew you were a beta,” Donna says.  “He used to call me all the time, asking for advice, trying to find a way to let you know that he wanted you.  I don’t know how it happened, how you two finally figured out what the other was trying to say, but I’m very glad.  I’m very proud of the mate my son chose, and I’m very proud to welcome you to the family, Jared.”  
  
“Thank you,” Jared smiles, letting her pull him into a hug.  “That means a lot to me.”  
  
They finish cleaning and then all four of them go to the backyard.  Jensen and Jared shift and go out into the grass while Donna and Alan shift and then head into the woods.  
  
Jared trots around the yard, nose to the crisp grass, as Jensen sits and watches, head held high and regal in the moonlight.  Jensen’s beautiful, his coat shiny in the moonlight from the tips of tears to the end of his fluffy tail.  And his eyes are a bright, nearly glowing green that would distinguish him from every other wolf, even if Jared didn’t know him like he does.  
  
Jared goes to his mate at the slight inclination of his head, and he rubs his muzzle against the underside of Jensen’s jaw in greeting.  He grunts contentedly as Jensen ducks his head and licks at Jared’s muzzle in return, and then Jensen cuts him a look and gives him a playful swat on the shoulder.  
  
Jared stares at him in surprise as he drops his front, his bushy tail swishing back and forth in an invitation to play.  
  
And then it’s on.  
  
Jared tears across the yard, kicking up grass as Jensen gives a pleased yip and growl and comes after him.  Jared sees a good-sized stick and snatches it up, turning as Jensen nears, and offers him one end.  
  
Jensen clamps down on the other side of the stick and gives it a tug, grunting and growling as Jared does the same.  They roll and tumble and tug and try to shake the other off all over the yard, but neither relents and both hang on.  
  
It isn’t until Jensen has Jared pinned on his back that he lets go, instead tugging on Jared’s ear.  Jared drops the stick immediately and shakes loose only to latch onto Jensen’s scruff, giving a playful growl as Jensen swats a leg over his shoulder and shakes him off, coming back with his mouth open wide.  Jared meets him in the middle, both of them clacking teeth as they wrestle around, trying to get the other first.  
  
They play until the moon is high and then break as Jensen’s parents come back from their run in the woods to relax on their porch.  Jared watches with keen and amused eyes as Jensen drops to the grass, rubbing his chin and jaw over the soft turf, eyes half-closed and a low, contented groan coming from deep in his throat.  Jensen looks quite blissful and Jared can’t help but join him.  
  
He trots over to his mate and plops down, laying as close to Jensen as he can without being on top of him.  Jensen turns his head and nuzzles Jared as they snuggle into each other in the pale moonlight.  
  
It’s not long before Jensen’s parents retreat to the house, shifting on the porch and quietly closing the door behind them.  
  
Jared feels a slight shiver beside him and then Jensen shifts back, hands immediately digging through Jared’s dense fur, making his eyes roll up into his head.  If he were a cat, Jared’s sure he’d be purring at the Alpha’s touch.  
  
“Hey, shift for me,” Jensen says.  
  
Jared huffs and cuts him a look, but he shifts anyway, fur and claws receding and leaving him just as naked as Jensen on the cool lawn.  
  
“What was that for?” Jared asks.  He was really enjoying being petted and stroked.  
  
“I really want to make love to you,” Jensen says, eyes dark and full of purpose.  “Right here in the grass, under the moon.”  
  
“Oh, well, in that case,” Jared grins and leans in, kissing Jensen soft and slow and wet.  
  
It’s a little romantic, making out with his mate in the moonlight, sitting next to each other on the grass.  But it’s also dirty as fuck, both of them stark naked and revving up, Jensen wanting to take Jared and Jared perfectly willing to let Jensen do whatever he wants to him, even in Jensen’s parents’ backyard.  
  
Jensen pushes Jared gently to the ground, pillowing the back of Jared’s head with his hand as he guides him to lay on his back.  Jared feels exposed in ways he never has before, yet perfectly safe and protected by the alpha above him.  Jared opens to Jensen, welcoming him into the cradle of his thighs and looping his arms around Jensen’s neck as Jensen settles over him, hip to shoulder.  
  
Jensen’s cock is a hot, hard line against his stomach, and Jared can feel the breeze chilling the spots on his heated flesh where Jensen’s already leaking precome onto him.  He can smell the change in Jensen’s scent too.  It’s sharper, stronger, and full of desire, and it’s all aimed at Jared.  And right now, Jared really couldn’t care less about anyone seeing them as he feels the beta inside him rise up to meet his alpha.  He was onboard before, but now, with Jensen’s reassuring weight over him and the musky smell of his arousal overwhelming Jared, there’s no way they’re not fucking right here, right now.  
  
Jensen dips to lick a stripe up Jared’s neck and then hums in satisfaction.  Jared angles his head away, giving Jensen all the room to lick that he could possibly want, and he isn’t disappointed when Jensen dives back in, tongue caressing and teeth scraping.  Jared whimpers and writhes against Jensen and clutches at his back, rocking into him every time he finds a particularly sensitive spot.   
  
Jared knows he’s hard, has been since Jensen first mentioned mating in the moonlight, but now he can feel himself getting wet, his body preparing itself to receive his mate, and with that comes the inexplicable ache that burns like fire in his belly and demands to be appeased.  It’s a fever, and Jensen’s knot is the cure.  
  
Jared never wanted this, to be a beta desperate for his alpha’s knot.  He hated the idea that an alpha could have so much control over him, being able to keep him in a state of arousal and need and then be the one thing that could relieve him.  But Jensen’s not like that.  Jensen defies convention, defies every standard of alpha Jared has ever had any experience with.  Jared is grateful for that, and he knows that with Jensen he has power too.  Jensen is just as powerless to stop himself from needing Jared.  If Jared so much as  _thinks_  about sex, Jensen is hot and panting for it.  And Jensen can't knot without him, not anymore, not after mating with him.  They’re as tied to each other as they can be, even when they’re not naked and moving as one.   
  
Jared feels bad for all of those betas out there who don’t know what it’s like to be an equal, who don’t know what it is to have an alpha at their mercy just as often as they find themselves at the mercy of their mates.  He knows Jensen is a rare thing, that he has Donna and Alan to thank for that.  And Josh.  And Jared, with all his problems and troubled past, knows how fortunate he is, and he plans on letting Jensen know every day of the rest of their lives how much he loves him for all that he is and for being more perfect than anything he could have ever dreamed.  
  
“I love you,” Jared whispers, needing to tell his alpha.  
  
“Love you too,” Jensen returns, pulling back and giving him a searching look.  “You okay?”  
  
“I could be better,” Jared says coyly.  
  
“Oh?  And what can I do to make that happen?” Jensen asks with a grin.  
  
“I seem to have a problem,” Jared begins.  “You see, I’m a little wet and in desperate need of a good knotting.  Think you can help?”  
  
“I think I’ve got just what you need,” Jensen replies, eyes going dark as he thrusts his cock against Jared, letting Jared feel how big it’s grown, how swollen it is, and how ready he is to take Jared.  
  
“Hmm, that’ll do quite nicely,” Jared agrees.  
  
“I don’t think I’m doing my job quite right if you’ve still got the presence of mind to talk this much,” Jensen barks out a short, harsh laugh.  
  
“I think this is the first time you’ve fucked me and I haven’t been in some kind of mating fever,” Jared says with a slight shrug.  “Doesn’t mean I don’t want this, or that I’m not dying for you to get that big cock of yours inside me.  Just means I’m not mindless with it.”  
  
“I’ve got to say, I’m not feeling quite the urgency either,” Jensen admits.  “Believe me, I still want to fuck you silly, but every other time, I couldn’t control myself.  It took all of my willpower not to throw you down and take you like some barbarian.  I think I’m going to like being able to slow down and take my time with you,” he says, curling a hand around Jared’s dick and giving it a firm squeeze and a twisting stroke.  
  
“Oh god,” Jared moans and tosses his head back.  
  
“Like that?” Jensen asks, repeating the movement.  
  
“Yes,” Jared hisses, hands going to Jensen’s shoulders   
  
“How about this?” Jensen asks, sliding a finger from his other hand into Jared’s slick passage as he strokes him harder and faster.  
  
“Fuck, Jensen,” Jared curses, fingers digging into Jensen harder.  “More.”  
  
“Yes, sir,” Jensen grins down at him, pushing in two fingers and pumping them in and out of his body, twisting them and stretching Jared out as he continues to stroke his cock.  
  
The next thing Jared knows, Jensen’s hot mouth is engulfing his dick, tongue licking around the head before he pushes down, swallowing Jared’s cock.  Jared gives a shout and tries to sit up, only to be shoved back down by a firm hand on his chest.  He digs his fingers into the grass and tears chunks of it up by the roots as Jensen sucks and fingers him, humming happily as he works Jared into a frenzy.   
  
“Jen, I’m gonna…,” Jared trails off, dirt-caked fingers going to Jensen’s hair, trying to pull him off as he teeters on the edge of coming.  
  
But Jensen doesn’t relent.  He doubles down, sucking him harder and curling his fingers inside Jared, stroking his prostate until Jared’s hips surge off of the ground and he comes with a cry of Jensen’s name, shooting down the Alpha’s throat.  Jensen greedily swallows everything and pulls off with a soft pop as Jared collapses back, slinging an arm over his forehead as he tries to catch his breath.  
  
“That was amazing,” Jared pants as Jensen slides back up his body.  
  
“Thanks,” Jensen smirks and then kisses Jared.  
  
Jared can taste himself on Jensen’s tongue, but it’s not bad.  It’s tempered with Jensen and it makes Jared want to please his mate, to give him the same pleasure he just received.  Jared gasps into Jensen’s mouth as the Alpha pushes three fingers into him, coaxing him open wider.   
  
“Ready?” Jensen asks, taking his fingers out and lining up.  
  
Jared just nods, body loose and relaxed after coming so hard, and he sighs happily as he feels the head of Jensen’s cock pushing past the rim of his hole before Jensen slides in all the way.  Jensen gives a grunt as he’s seated fully inside of Jared, and Jared can feel his dick start to fill again as Jensen begins to move.  
  
It’s slow and easy, the way Jensen pushes into him.  They’ve never done it like this, and Jared doesn’t just mean outside.  There’s a lack of urgency, a noticeable serenity in the way they come together, making love for the sake of making love and not at the mercy of their hormones and driven to fuck like the animals they truly are.  
  
Jensen takes his time, showering Jared in soft kisses as Jared sighs and moans and moves with Jensen, arms holding them together tight and fingers stroking through the soft, short strands at the back of Jensen’s head.  Jared can tell when Jensen starts getting close, his knot starting to swell and his thrusts coming harder, more power behind his hips.  
  
Jared relaxes and lets it happen, welcomes Jensen’s knot and gasps, jaw dropped open in bliss as Jensen’s knot slips through and he ties them together.  Jensen changes to a gentle rocking motion and reaches for Jared’s cock again, stroking him quick and dirty, breaking out every little trick he knows to get Jared off fast.   
  
And he does.   
  
Within a few seconds, he has Jared clenching tight around him and coming again, groaning low and deep with pleasure.  And then Jensen comes, knot swelling impossibly big and then emptying out.  Jared’s chest heaves against Jensen’s as they both gasp for air, Jared’s body twitching every now and then and his cock jerking when Jensen’s knot presses against his prostate.  
  
What Jared gets from Jensen’s pleasure is much more subtle, rolling through him steadily after his initial growl of release, and Jared holds him close, stroking his fingers over Jensen’s sweat-slicked skin as they both come down.  Jensen’s mouth moves against Jared’s shoulder, lips pressing soft kisses and tongue flicking out to lick up pheromone-drenched sweat as his hips continue to pump into Jared with tiny movements while he fills Jared with his seed.  
  
And there was a time when Jared thought that was gross too, the thought of some alpha tying him and then emptying ungodly amounts of come into him was the most unappealing thing ever.  But not with Jensen.  Not now.  Now, he can’t think of anything he finds hotter than the thought, the knowledge that Jensen is breeding him full right now, pumping him full of his seed and giving him everything he has, leaving a bit of himself inside Jared.   
  
They lay together under the stars, just breathing and holding each other until Jensen’s knot goes down enough to separate.  They share a smile and Jensen kisses Jared softly before helping him to his feet and leading him inside where they shower in his old bathroom and go to sleep in his old room, happy and home.

* * *

Life is quiet for the next few days.  Jared busies himself around Jensen’s house while Jensen goes back to work, meetings with potential business partners and Council business taking him away from Jared.  He apologizes for it unnecessarily and makes up for it by practically worshiping every inch of Jared’s body the moment he gets home, so even if Jared’s left largely by himself, he’s not exactly complaining about it.  
  
Midweek Jared feels a little achy when he wakes up.  He doesn’t worry too much about it at first, but as the morning turns to midday, he finds himself in a bit of a pickle.  
  
He’s sweaty, not like when he goes for runs, but a light and persistent sheen, and he can feel his insides cramp every now and then.  He lays down around lunch for a nap, hoping to just sleep this funk off, and when he comes to he realizes he’s in a full-blown honest to goodness breeding heat.  
  
He’s feverish and flush, his dick is hard, and his ass is wet and clenching around nothing, aching to be filled, craving his mate.  He takes a deep breath to steady himself and the pounding of his heart and glances at Jensen’s alarm clock.  
  
Only three.  Shit.  Fuck his life, seriously.  
  
Jensen’s not due home until well after five, possibly later.  He briefly considers flopping back down and trying to wait it out, but there’s no way he can make it that long, not feeling like this.  As a cramp hits him low in his gut, he realizes this heat is different than any of his mating fevers.  It makes them pale in comparison.  It’s more insistent, and it makes him feel desperate for Jensen, more desperate for his alpha’s knot than ever before, like he’ll burn up from the inside and die if he doesn’t get it right now.  
  
Before Jared can even second guess himself, he’s up, mostly dressed, and driving to Jensen’s office building, breaking several traffic laws in his haste to get to his mate.  As he pulls into the parking garage a block away from his destination, he has the presence of mind to briefly feel Jensen out, noting a mild curiosity from the Alpha and a strong dose of love and longing, but nothing to deter him from coming to his mate.  And Jensen has to know that Jared’s on a mission.  It’d be pretty hard for an alpha to miss their beta’s call, especially when his beta is in a raging heat and gagging to be tied and bred.  
  
Humans and wolves alike move out of Jared’s way as he powers down the sidewalk, all but running to get to Jensen as fast as he can.  He knows the wolves can smell his heat and the humans are curious, as they always have been when it comes to werewolves and mating, but none are stupid enough to interfere.  Not the people on the street, not the security guard at the entrance to the tower, not the workers by the elevators that clear out upon his stormy approach, and not the woman who erroneously thought she might ride up with him but then thought better of it with one withering glance and a few sharp, bared teeth.  
  
The buzzing in his head grows louder as the doors to the elevator slide shut and he punches the number for Jensen’s floor.  He’s very glad that the elevators are fast as he doesn’t particularly have the patience for anything slow at the moment.  Jared takes the few seconds he has on the ride up to compose himself, trying to get everything back under tight control, at least until he can get Jensen alone, as he has no idea what he’s about to walk into.  Besides, it wouldn’t do to make Jensen’s poor assistant any more uncomfortable than he has to, and he will because he intends for Jensen to take him right there in his office, in earshot and definitely in scent-range of the poor, sweet beta woman.  
  
The elevator dings and Jared steps out, his veneer of calm precariously in place.  The whole floor smells of his mate, strong and musky, and the closer he gets to Jensen’s suite, the more potent the scent becomes until it’s nearly overwhelming.  He pauses for a moment to steel himself as he puts a hand on the door to Jensen’s suite.  He has to at least look like he’s got himself together.  
  
And then he pushes through.  
  
“Beta!” Jensen’s assistant gasps as he steps through the doors to the suite.  “I wasn’t expecting you,” she says apologetically as she stands to greet him.  
  
“Neither is Jensen,” Jared says, fidgeting a bit.  He doesn’t have the self control for small talk right now.  “Is he busy?”  
  
“Not to my knowledge,” Amy answers and Jared can tell she’s making her best effort not to scent him, her discretion and respect for him noted and filed away even though he knows he has to reek of heat by now.  
  
“Great,” Jared flashes her a strained grin.  “Make sure it says like that.”  
  
“Yes, Beta,” she says with a slight bow of her head as he goes to the heavy wooden doors to Jensen’s office.  
  
He slips through quietly, but Jensen would know he was there even if he managed to be completely silent.  Hell, Jensen probably knew he was here the minute he entered the building.  But he can still smell the sharp spike of recognition, of Jensen’s excitement at Jared’s surprise visit.  
  
Jared smiles to himself and flicks the lock on the doors, the click loud in the quiet of the office.  As Jared turns around to face his mate, he feels a thrill of arousal flush through his stomach as his need deepens, and he can feel Jensen’s answering desire vibrate through him.  He meets bright green eyes and a dark, hungry look as Jensen sits behind his huge desk, looking for all the world completely in control and unaffected.  
  
Jared knows better.  He knows that lurking just beneath that calm façade is the animal Jensen really is, an instinct-driven beast coiled tight and salivating at the offer Jared’s so casually thrown down on the table.  He can smell it.  Hell, he can  _feel_  it.  
  
There’s a soft, deep rumble that sounds from Jensen, and a predatory grin curves his lips as Jared looks him up and down and then flicks his eyes to Jensen’s desk.  Jensen doesn’t need to be told twice, much less once.  He stands and sweeps everything off of his desk to the floor--papers, pens, and all--and then Jared practically jumps over the piece of furniture to get to his alpha.  
  
He slides across the glossy top and swings his legs over, wrapping them around Jensen and reaching out to pull him flush by his tie.  Jensen’s scent spikes again and Jared groans at the hot wave of want that courses through his body in response.  It’s too warm in his clothes all of the sudden, and he needs to get out of them, has to feel the Alpha’s skin on his own, needs to smell and lick and taste.  
  
Jensen takes in a deep breath and his pupils dilate, the bright green giving way to a deep black, and he licks his lips as he surveys Jared.  
  
“You’re in heat?” Jensen asks, voice a low rumble.  
  
“Dr. Rhodes said it’d be unpredictable for a while,” Jared answers, voice just as raw.  “And that I could go in and out at random for at least a few months once they started up.”  
  
“Did you just go in?”  
  
“Yeah, this morning,” Jared replies, gasping as Jensen reaches out and trails a finger down his throat.  “It’s my first heat, Jensen.”  
  
“You need relief,” Jensen says, more of a statement than a question.  
  
“I need you,” Jared says breathlessly.  
  
“I’ll take care of you, Jay,” Jensen promises.  
  
“I seem to remember something about you and me and this desk,” Jared suggests, loosening his hold on Jensen’s tie just a fraction, but the Alpha doesn’t go anywhere.  
  
“Is that what you want?” Jensen raises an eyebrow.  “You want me to fuck you on my desk?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared answers, barely holding back another moan.  It’s  _exactly_  what he wants.  He’s fucking dying for it.  
  
Before Jensen can open his mouth and stall any longer, Jared jerks him forward by his tie again and seals their mouths together.  Jensen’s hands are on him almost immediately, sliding beneath his t-shirt and moving over his heated skin.  Jared groans into Jensen’s mouth and arches against the Alpha, seeking out the friction of his mate’s body, the friction he needs.  Jensen complies readily, rutting his hips into Jared’s, brushing their bulges together.  
  
Jensen breaks from his mouth seconds later and pulls his t-shirt off before pushing him flat on his back.  The wood is cool against his skin as Jared lays on it, watching Jensen with hooded eyes as he rips his tie away and practically tears the buttons from his shirt in his haste to get his clothes off.  
  
Jensen’s hands fall to Jared’s jeans next, the fastenings coming undone beneath Jensen’s quick fingers, and then Jared finds himself scrambling and gripping the edge of the desk to hang on as Jensen pulls the rest of his clothes off, leaving him naked and leaking on the surface of the desk.  
  
Jensen drops over Jared, placing a warm, wet kiss to his quivering stomach and smoothing a hand up over his chest.  He slowly sinks into his chair, and the next thing Jared knows is Jensen’s hot breath moving over his straining dick and heavy balls, down to… oh, god.  
  
“Jen,” Jared moans, reaching down and threading his fingers through his mate’s short hair as he feels the tip of his wicked tongue touch his hole.  
  
Jensen’s response is a low groan as he licks and prods Jared, reducing him to a shaking, twitching mess.  Jared arches off the desk as Jensen slides a finger in alongside his tongue, slow and deep, taking Jared’s breath away.  
  
“You’re so wet,” Jensen comments, and Jared can hear the ache in his voice.  He needs this just as bad.  
  
“For you,” Jared responds, grabbing the hand Jensen has on his chest and sucking down his index finger, needing more, needing to feel his mate against his mouth too.  
  
Jared moans around Jensen’s finger and sucks harder as Jensen pushes two fingers in and twists, stroking him and teasing the tips against Jared’s prostate.  
  
“More,” Jared demands, letting Jensen’s finger drop from his mouth.  
  
Jensen obliges him, pushing in three as he trails his spit-slick finger down Jared’s chest and stomach, leaving a wet, cold stripe in its wake.  
  
“’m ready,” Jared insists, bearing down on Jensen’s hand, pushing himself toward his mate, wanting nothing more than to feel the sweet slide of Jensen’s cock into his hole.  
  
“I recall saying I’d take my time with you,” Jensen says, voice teasing.  
  
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Jared protests, writhing against Jensen’s hand.  “I’m desperate.  I need you so bad, I think I’m going to explode.”  
  
“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” Jensen says.  “I suppose if you asked really nice, I could be persuaded to speed things up.”  
  
“Oh, you dirty son of a bitch,” Jared swears and Jensen chuckles.  
  
“Come on,” Jensen encourages him.  “Beg me.”  
  
“Please, Jen.  Please don’t make me wait,” Jared pleads on command, mouth firing off words without his permission, but fuck it if it gets him what he needs.  “I need it so bad, want your cock and your knot.  I need to feel you in me so bad it hurts, Jen.  Fuck me, please. Make it stop.  Make me feel you for days.”  
  
“You really are desperate for it,” Jensen says as he pulls back, voice warm and soothing as it washes over Jared.  
  
Jared whines at the loss of touch and he makes to sit up, but Jensen steadies him, holding him down with a hand on his chest as he undoes his slacks and steps out of them.  
  
“Open for me,” Jensen commands softly and Jared drops his thighs open, waiting for Jensen to take his place.  
  
He isn’t made to wait long.  Jensen steps in and lines himself up, pushing into Jared and splitting him open wide on his hot, hard cock.  Jared smacks his head on the desk as he tosses it back, not even caring, and letting out a deep moan as Jensen bottoms out, filling him and completing him.   
  
“Fuck, Jen,” Jared gasps, reaching for his mate.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen responds, lacing the fingers of one hand through Jared’s, holding him tight as he grips Jared’s hip with his other hand and begins to move.  
  
It’s slow at first, Jensen taking his time warming them up, his hips rocking into Jared’s at a steady pace.  Jensen lets go of Jared’s hand after a few moments, though, and begins to move more how Jared wants, hard and punishing.  It’s perfect, too, the way Jensen strokes into him, lighting him up from the inside.  
  
Jared’s vaguely aware that the loud moaning he can hear is him.  He’s also aware, but only peripherally, that Jensen’s assistant can hear them, and possibly even other parts of the floor can to.  And he’s definitely aware that any werewolf in the building knows exactly what’s going down, but he just can’t seem to care about anything other than Jensen’s cock and the things he’s doing to Jared with it.  
  
It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but Jared can already feel the swell of Jensen’s knot, and holy fuck, that’s it.  That’s what he needs, what he’s been aching for since he woke up this morning.   
  
“Want me to knot you?” Jensen asks, as if Jared had said it aloud.  
  
“You’d better,” Jared says, relaxing himself and getting ready for it, waiting for Jensen’s knot to be in him.   
  
“I’ve got an idea,” Jensen says, pulling Jared upright and then falling back into his huge chair with Jared seated firmly in his lap.  
  
Jared would like to be impressed with the level of skill it required to move them both from the desk and change positions all without ever pulling out, but Jensen’s cock is stuffed so far up inside him at the moment, it’s all he can think about.  His back is bowed tight as he arches against Jensen, and the Alpha’s knot is seated firmly against his prostate.  
  
Jensen rocks upward with small lifts of his hips, and Jared moves against him, circling his ass on Jensen’s lap as his knot grows even bigger.  Jared gasps as the first real signs of relief hit him and his dick twitches as precome begins to ooze from the slit.   
  
“You’re fucking beautiful,” Jensen growls, taking Jared’s hips in hand and pulling him down harder against his knot.  “You want me to come?  Want me to fill you up and pump you full of my seed?  Want me to breed you good right here in this chair?”  
  
“Yes, yes, I want it,” Jared pants, begs, moves frantically against Jensen, wanting them both to come so bad.  “Please, Jensen.”  
  
“Come for me,” Jensen says and Jared does.  
  
He goes tight and rigid above Jensen as he comes all over their stomachs.  He can feel himself squeezing Jensen, his insides fluttering around the Alpha’s cock, and then Jensen throws his head back, neck straining and chest flushed red as he lets out a throaty moan and begins to come, hips pumping up into him erratically.  
  
Jared comes down first, a sense of calm coming over him as he sprawls atop his mate, petting him and smelling his rich scent as he breeds him full.  He’s happy here, as content as anyone has a right to be, and he wouldn’t trade this for anything.  Jensen’s hands are on his skin, running up and down his back, and his gaze, liquid and lazy, is locked with Jared’s.  
  
“Love you,” Jensen whispers in the afterglow of their lovemaking.  
  
“Love you,” Jared returns, pressing a soft kiss to Jensen’s mouth.   
  
“I don’t think I’m ever getting rid of this desk,” Jensen says, the corner of his mouth twitching up.  
  
“I would miss it if you did,” Jared agrees. 

* * *

  
The minute they get home, Jensen takes Jared to bed.  They tumble across the mattress, wrapped around each other, Jared panting and hot for Jensen, needing him, wanting to absorb him into his body and never let him go, and Jensen is all over him, covering his heated body with every inch of skin he can.  They fuck all night, Jensen moving inside of Jared and only whetting his appetite every time they tie.   
  
Jared is insatiable.  
  
They pass out for a few hours as the sun starts to inch its way over the horizon.  Jared’s exhausted and he knows he’s worn Jensen out too, but his body is fully in control and it’s not long before he wakes again, writhing and backing up into Jensen where he’s plastered to Jared’s back.   
  
“Again?” Jensen’s rough voice asks as his arm tightens like a vise around Jared’s middle.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared responds, equally rough.  
  
He lets out a whimper a moment later as Jensen hardens against his backside.  Jared’s so wet and loose from the last several times that Jensen meets no resistance as he pushes into Jared.   
Jensen starts out slow, thrusting up into Jared with powerful but measured strokes, his lips and tongue warm on his shoulder.  Jared can’t do anything but clutch at Jensen’s arm around his stomach and moan like a whore.  He moves back against his mate, his alpha, encouraging Jensen to take him harder, like he needs, and Jensen does.   
  
He picks up a more punishing pace, hips slamming into Jared’s ass as he pushes them both closer and closer to the edge.  Jared can feel Jensen’s knot swelling again, and he welcomes it, bearing down on his mate and meeting him halfway, taking the engorged knot into his passage and locking them together.  Jensen rocks against Jared’s prostate and it’s all over, Jared coming with a strangled cry all over the sheets, and Jensen not far behind, teeth sinking into the muscle of Jared’s shoulder as he muffles a deep growl and starts to empty his load into Jared.  
  
They lay in silence for a few moments, both catching their breath.  Jared likes this time, when Jensen’s deep inside him, stuck there until his knot releases them.  He feels connected to his mate right now more than any other time, loving the feeling of Jensen continuing to rock into him with gentle pushes as he fills Jared up again and again and again.  
  
“Think you’ll go the full five days?” Jensen asks in the quiet of the room.  
  
“God, I hope not,” Jared nearly laughs.  “I’m fucking miserable.”  
  
“Even now?” Jensen questions with a punctuated jab with his cock.  
  
“No,” Jared whimpers and shakes his head.  “Only when you’re not in me.  It’s gonna suck while you’re at work.”  
  
“I’ll take off,” Jensen states.   
  
“ _Jensen_ ,” Jared sighs.  Jensen can’t take off work just because he’s lost control of his body.  
  
“Please don’t fight me on this,” Jensen says.  “I can’t leave you here in heat all day.  And besides, I’m just as helpless as you are right now.  As much as you think you’re out of control, I don’t think I could keep myself away from you if I tried.  Your body is telling mine it’s go time, and I just flat out don’t have the presence of mind to object.  Besides, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here, knotting you and fulfilling your every need.”  
  
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Jared asks.  
  
“ _Very_ ,” Jensen says, voice a low rumble as he places an open-mouthed kiss to the back of Jared’s sweaty neck.  “Nothing is more important to me than taking care of you.  Unless you want me to go?”  
  
“No!” Jared says quickly, tightening his hold on Jensen’s arm to keep him in place.  His body aches at the thought of being without Jensen right now.  It’s unbearable.  
  
“That’s what I thought,” Jensen chuckles and Jared can just imagine the satisfied smirk he must have on his face.  “Think you’ll be okay long enough to eat in a minute?”  
  
“I think so,” Jared responds.   
  
“I mean, I don’t mind you dragging me around by my dick at all, but we’ve got to eat some time, keep up our strength,” Jensen says.  “Because if this thing goes the full five days, I want to be able to satisfy you every single time.”  
  
“You do,” Jared assures him, whining a little as Jensen’s knot finally goes down enough for him to slip out.   
  
“Easy, Jay,” Jensen murmurs, turning Jared over and pulling him close, kissing him soundly.   
  
Jared growls in the back of his throat and pushes into Jensen, rutting against his hip as he tightens his grip on his alpha and kisses him back hard and wet and sloppy.  
  
Jensen breaks away, sucking in several deep breaths as Jared tries to move back in.  
  
“Food first,” Jensen insists.  “And then we can pick up where we left off.”  
  
Jared pouts, but the rumble in his stomach makes him agree with his mate.  
  
“Fine,” Jared says.  “But nothing fancy.  I don’t want to wait any longer than I have to.”  
  
“You and me both,” Jensen grins.

  
* * *

  
They watch a little TV and then doze for a while before Jared wakes up feeling like he’s burning up from the inside again, the aching want and need for his mate too much to take.  
  
“Jensen,” Jared practically pants, grinding up against his mate where he’s waking up as well.  Jared feels hot, too hot, like his skin is on fire.  This heat is so intense, so much more powerful than his mating fevers, and this wave of it makes the past two days seem easy in comparison.  He’s glad he never had to go through one unmated like the omegas and some of the beta women.  For maybe the first time in his life, he’s truly grateful for his biology.  He’d have gone insane if he had to do this alone.  “Need you, Jensen.”  
  
“I’m right here,” his alpha says, mouthing along his jaw and holding his hips down with strong hands as he rolls Jared to his back.  
  
“Want you in me,” Jared whines, bucking up and trying to get something, some kind of relief, anything really.  “Need your knot.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen agrees, lining himself up.  
  
Jared holds his breath as the head of Jensen’s cock pushes through his rim, the rest going easily, his slickened channel giving way as his mate sinks in.  Jared shudders and feels the prickle of relief begin as Jensen starts up a quick, hard rhythm.  Jared knows Jensen prefers to take his time, but their bodies are in control now and Jared couldn’t care less if Jensen were to fuck him hard enough to break the bed so long as he knots him again and again until this heat passes.  
  
As Jensen picks up his pace, Jared feels too big for his skin, like it’s too tight and he’s going to explode out of it at any moment.  And suddenly Jared needs more.  He needs Jensen to let go, to let his wolf out, to take him and dominate him and make Jared scream under him as he fucks him so hard and good that Jared can’t breathe.  
  
Jared can barely speak as it is.  He’s so far gone on the pheromones drenching their bodies and the sheets, so he clenches down on Jensen’s cock and scratches his nails down Jensen’s back, urging his mate on.  And Jensen gets it, growling low and tightening his hold on Jared.  He can practically feel the bruises forming already and he doesn’t care.  He wants them, he wants this, and he needs Jensen’s marks all over him.  
  
What’s more is he needs Jensen’s knot, his seed, needs it so bad he aches for it, aches deep in his stomach where he needs their baby to grow.  At that thought, he grits his teeth and bears down harder, trying to pull everything Jensen has into himself, trying to absorb him into his very being.  He’s so desperate for it, for Jensen to give him the child his body craves so completely, it’s all he can focus on.  
  
The words are on the tip of his tongue, he’s ready to beg Jensen to put a baby in him, but Jensen speaks first.  
  
“I know,” Jensen says hoarsely.  “I know, Jared,” and on the next thrust, Jensen’s shoving his knot into Jared and tying them.   
  
Jared arches against Jensen and comes as Jensen starts grinding his knot into Jared’s prostate.  Jared pants and gasps for air as he jerks against Jensen and rides out the euphoria his orgasm gives him.  
  
Now he just needs Jensen to come, to fill him up, to soothe that aching, desperate need and make him feel sane again.  
  
“Come for me, Jen,” Jared demands in a low rasp.  “Come in me, fill me, please.  I need it so bad.  Need  _you_.”  
With a handful more grinding thrusts and a flex of Jared’s hips up, Jensen’s coming with a long, deep groan, spasming into Jared as he starts to empty into his mate.  
  
“Well, that was intense,” Jensen comments a moment later when they’ve both managed to catch their breath.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared agrees, feeling clearer headed now that they’ve mated again.  
  
“You were really gagging for it,” Jensen comments.  “I thought you might hurt yourself if you didn’t get what you wanted.”  
  
“I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have,” Jared winces.  He had been rather forceful.  
  
“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Jensen says quickly.  “I know this isn’t easy for you.  If there’s anything I can do to make it better, tell me.  Even if it’s just to hold still while you ride me.  I’m all for it.”  
  
“I know,” Jared smiles and pulls Jensen down into a kiss.

* * *

It’s two more days before Jared wakes up feeling more himself.  He’s sore as hell and there’s a distinct sweaty smell that hangs in the air right beneath the scent of sex, neither of which are unexpected.   
  
Jensen’s face down next to Jared on the bed, sound asleep and looking utterly blissful.  Four straight days of hard sex are bound to do that to even the most powerful of alphas, Jared supposes.   
  
He sits up slowly and gets to his feet.  There are parts of him crying out in protest that he didn’t even know could be sore and achy, and he gingerly makes his way to the bathroom.  He takes care of his morning ablutions and when he goes to brush his teeth, he’s a little more than surprised at his appearance.   
  
There’s distinctively mouth-shaped bruises along his neck and chest in all different shades of purple and red.  Jared’s eyes widen and he almost laughs because he didn’t think they had acted like teenagers, but he does have a few brief flashes of Jensen biting down on him in their more savage matings.  He turns and checks his back out to find a few more bites as well as some fingertip-shaped bruises on his hips that he knows will fit the span of Jensen’s hands.  That alone makes a satisfied shiver run up his spine.   
  
There’s not a part on him that isn’t marked, claimed by Jensen.  It makes Jared want to go back in and wake his mate up with a blowjob.  
  
And, well, why not?  
  
Jared sneaks back into their bedroom to find Jensen sprawled on his back, having rolled over and commandeered Jared’s sleeping space.  Absolutely perfect for what Jared’s got in mind.  It’s almost like Jensen’s subconscious knew what he was up to.  
  
Jared crawls up Jensen’s body on the bed and carefully pulls the covers down to find marks across Jensen’s body as well.  Marks Jared put there.  He feels himself puff up a little, feeling just as smug about Jensen bearing the physical evidence of their matings.  His eyes drift over the expanse of Jensen’s chest and stomach down to his nice, fat alpha cock.   
  
It says something about just how much Jensen affects him that the sight of his cock makes Jared feel hot want for the alpha low in his gut.  Jared couldn’t imagine feeling this way for anyone else.   
  
He leans down, braced over Jensen, and licks a broad strip up the underside of Jensen’s cock, eyes glued to his mate’s face.  There’s a barely there twitch, like Jensen might be waking up, but then he settles back into sleep when Jared doesn't immediately continue.  Jared licks him again, swirling his tongue around the head and then sucking the tip in.   
  
Jensen lets out a whimper at that, shifting his legs and straightening his body as his cock plumps up in Jared’s mouth.  Jared continues his kitten licks and when Jensen’s cock starts to harden, he takes him in his mouth and swallows him down.  
  
“Holy fuck,” Jensen swears as he wakes up fully, head tilted down so he can see Jared.   
  
Jensen’s voice is sleep-rough and his hair is standing up in a thousand different directions, but his eyes are bright and locked on Jared.  For his part, Jared winks at him and pulls up, sucking the whole way, lightly scraping his teeth along the underside of Jensen’s dick.  Jensen hisses and moans, hand clenching in midair, like he wants to put it in Jared’s hair but doesn't know if it’s okay, even though it’s  _way_  fucking more than okay.  
  
“Do it,” Jared says as he pulls off with a pop.   
  
“What?” Jensen pants.   
  
“Put your hands on me,” Jared states.  “Fuck my mouth.  I want it.”  
  
“Oh my god,” Jensen gasps as he falls back.  “You’re seriously unreal.  This is a dream.”  
  
Jared’s response is to grab Jensen’s hand and put it on his head before swallowing Jensen’s down again.   
  
“Oh my fucking god, I’m going to die,” Jensen groans.  “You’re going to kill me.”  
  
Jared knows  _exactly_  what he means.  He sets up a rhythm, bobbing up and down, swirling his hand around Jensen’s knot as his cock grows too thick to take in all the way anymore, and that’s when Jensen finally grabs Jared’s hair.  It’s not hard, at least not as hard as Jared could take, but the pressure is steady as Jensen begins guiding Jared into a different pace, Jensen’s hips shifting minutely as he presses his cock into Jared’s mouth in time with bringing his head down, mindful of not choking Jared.   
  
Jensen’s knot is pulsing in Jared’s hand as he squeezes it and works it, trying like hell to get Jensen off.  He’s not even sure it’ll happen what with all of the sex they’ve been having.  Jared’s not even sure  _he_  can get off again for another few days at least.  Not that he’s not enjoying getting Jensen off.  It’s doing wonders for him, but his heat drained him so completely that it’s amazing, to him at least, that he’s not face down in a puddle of his own drool, sleeping everything off for the better part of a week.  Which he actually still may do, to be honest.  
  
His thoughts are brought back to the present when Jensen pulls Jared off of his cock just in time for the first spurt of come to hit him on the chin.  Jensen slams Jared onto his back and thrusts into him quickly, taking Jared’s mouth in a hard, punishing kiss as he jerks and comes into him, riding his orgasm through, even though his knot is already too big to tie them.  Seems like Jensen didn’t get enough of breeding Jared over the last four days either.  
  
The satisfaction at having made his mate come so hard is enough to get a twitch from Jared’s cock but nothing more.  Jensen kisses Jared a few more times and then settles against him, his face buried in the crook of Jared’s neck as he pants against his skin, breath hot and moist and Jensen’s heavy weight welcomed.   
  
“Good morning,” Jared says, far too happy as he wipes Jensen’s come off of his chin and licks it up.  It smells and tastes so strongly of Jensen that his eyes flutter closed as it touches his tongue, only to open again when Jensen speaks.  
  
“Mornin’,” he drawls, pushing up to gaze down at Jared with the dopiest smile he’s ever seen on the very put-together alpha.  
  
“Am I better than coffee?” Jared teases.  
  
“Oh, hell yes,” Jensen agrees.  “What made you decide to do that?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Jared shrugs.  “You took such good care of me the last few days.  I figured I should take care of you too.”  
  
“Hell of a way to do it,” Jensen says.   
  
“You liked it,” Jared says.  
  
“I did,” Jensen agrees.   
  
“So did I,” Jared gives him a smile.  “I liked making you lose control, pushing you to the edge.  It made me feel good, powerful.”  
  
“Feel free to do that any time, then,” Jensen states.  “I will never turn down being woken up like that.”  
  
“Good to know,” Jared says.  
  
“Just know that there’s a good chance I may return the favor,” Jensen grins and glances down at Jared’s limp cock.  “When you’re up for it.  Don’t think for one second that I’m the kind of alpha that doesn’t reciprocate.”  
  
“Looking forward to it and wouldn’t dream of it,” Jared says, blushing a bit and pulling Jensen down for a kiss.  “So, breakfast?”   
  
“Breakfast,” Jensen stares at him blankly.  
  
“I kind of don’t remember much about the last few days,” Jared admits.  “The heat made me a little delirious, and what I do remember tends to be us having lots and lots of sex, over and over again.  What I don’t really have much memory of is anything we might have ate or drank, so I’m almost certain we both are in desperate need of a good meal, lots of fluids, and quite possibly the longest shower of my life.”  
  
“Well, you’re not wrong there,” Jensen laughs.  “It was mostly just sex.  I had to coerce you into eating and that happened only after I’d knotted you a few times.  I managed to get you to drink some gatorade once or twice too, but you were really hard to reason with.  You were pretty much only focused on one thing.  Hell, I don’t even think we slept for more than three hours before you’d wake me up and need to go again.  Do you really not remember any of that?”  
  
“The sex, for the most part, yes,” Jared admits.  “But it all just feels like one really, really long session in my head, maybe with one food break that I vaguely remember in the middle.  I guess really was out of it.  I’m sorry.”  
  
“Don’t be, baby,” Jensen kisses him.  “It was nothing I wasn’t more than willing to do for you.  And I’ll do it over and over again, as many times as I need.  I will  _always_  take care of you.  Always.”  
  
“I love you,” Jared says.  “Sometimes you’re too much and it scares me, but I love you.”  
  
“I love you too,” Jensen smiles softly at him and kisses him again.  “No matter what.”

* * *

  
The very next day sees them heading to meet with Jensen’s Council to announce their mating.  Jared’s fidgety and restless in his seat, hands gone clammy no matter how many times he rubs them on his pants, and Jensen has noticed.  
  
“You okay?” Jensen asks, putting a hand on top of Jared’s on his thigh.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared answers, but he’s not completely honest and he knows Jensen can tell, would probably be able to tell even if they weren’t mated.  
  
“We don’t have to do this today,” Jensen offers him an out as he navigates his Jag smoothly through traffic.  “If it’s too soon, just tell me.  I know you just came through your first heat, and it took a lot out of you.  I’ll understand if you want to put this off.”  
  
“It’s fine, Jen,” Jared insists, turning his hand over and taking Jensen’s hand and holding it tight.  “Let’s just get it over with.”  
  
“I’ve got no problem turning this car around,” Jensen continues.  “I kind of want to just keep you to myself a bit longer.  I don’t really want you to have to start taking on Beta duties.”  
  
“Jensen, if you had it your way, no one would ever see either of us again,” Jared smiles in amusement.  “And we’d be naked and in bed all the time.”  
  
“And your point would be?” Jensen flashes him a roguish grin.  “I make no apologies.  You’re beautiful, and you make me want you all the damn time.”  
  
“How about right now?” Jared practically purrs.  
  
“ _All_  the time, Jay,” Jensen affirms.  
  
“Even after you spent the last four days in bed, fucking me raw through my heat?” Jared asks.  
  
“Best four days ever,” Jensen states.  
  
“And here I thought  _I_  was the insatiable one,” Jared chuckles.  
  
“Only for you,” Jensen vows and pulls into a shaded parking space by a large tree outside of the Council Hall.  He turns off the engine and they sit for a moment in silence.  “Do we have to?” he asks, turning to Jared with a pout.  
  
“Come on,” Jared shakes his head and maybe even rolls his eyes a little.  
  
They get out of the car and Jensen leads him into and through the building with a steady hand on his lower back.  Jared knows it’s Jensen’s way of making sure everyone in the building knows they’re together, but it helps calm and center Jared, because he’s more than a little nervous about being presented to the Council.   
  
It’s not like they can do anything.  His and Jensen’s mating is set in stone, and even if it wasn’t, no ruling the Council makes can supersede the Alpha’s decision.  Jensen’s word is final in all matters.  
  
It’s just that as Beta he’s going to be working with the Council closely, representing the Alpha in all Council business, being his eyes and ears and voice, and casting a deciding vote in the event of a tie.  He wants them to like him, to accept him, but he also knows that with his past and his blood ties to San Antonio, it’ll probably be a difficult road at best.  
  
Jensen lets Jared step behind him as he pushes the chamber doors open and strides inside with Jared hot on his heels.  Jared can tell the instant that they enter that there’s been a distinct shift in the mood around the chamber as all eyes fall on them, some in curiosity and others in contempt.  Jared keeps alert and close to his mate, and he stays silent, letting Jensen step into his Alpha role as he stands tall and proud before the Council.  
  
“Alpha,” a pale-haired, pale-eyed chancellor says with a bow of his head, the others following suit.  “What a pleasant surprise.”  
  
“Pellegrino,” Jensen nods to the chancellor and then glances about the room.  “I have business with the Council.”  
  
“And how may we serve you this afternoon?” Pellegrino asks.  Jared does not like his demeanor.  Not one bit.  
  
“I’ve come to inform the Council of my mating to Jared Padalecki,” Jensen announces, motioning for Jared to step up next to him.   
  
“Of Gerald Padalecki, the recently disgraced San Antonio Pack Alpha?” Pellegrino asks with a raised eyebrow.  “I was unaware that he had any beta offspring.  Tell me, Alpha, what makes this wolf so special that you would take him as your Beta and place him over the entire Pack when his own father never acknowledged him?”  
  
Jared tenses next to Jensen.  That stung.   
  
“You’ll watch yourself,” Jensen warns, and Jared can sense his hackles go up.  
  
“I am merely voicing a concern for the good of the Pack, Alpha,” Pellegrino says.  “Had you brought this matter to us, measures could have been--”  
  
“I don’t recall needing your permission to take a mate,” Jensen says coolly, though Jared knows better.  
  
“Clearly,” Pellegrino drawls.  “Just as you did not need our permission to take off to another territory, unseat the Alpha in power, and replace him with a more agreeable wolf.”  
  
“Be careful what you say, Chancellor,” Jensen advises.  “ _That_  was Alpha business.  And if memory serves me, none of the other Alphas saw fit to consult their Councils either.  You forget, Chancellors, you derive what power you possess from me and solely at my pleasure.  I do not need you nearly as much as you would like to believe.  So think twice before you chastise your Alpha.”  
  
“But you still have need of the Council,” another wolf boldly says.  
  
“ _A_  Council, yes.  But if this Council ceases to be mine, then I can and will have it replaced,” Jensen says.  “We aren’t a constitutional monarchy or a democracy, you aren’t a parliament or congress.  You do not have any authority over me, and I do not have to involve you in any decision I make as Alpha, just as I’m not asking for your approval on my mating.  I’m  _telling_  you how it is.  Do not forget your places or I’ll find other, more  _agreeable_ wolves.”  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” a few of the chancellors mutter while the rest stew in contemptuous silence.  
  
“Well, then,” Jensen flashes them all a cold smile and then motions to Jared.  “Jared is my mate and your Beta.  You’d all do well to remember that the  _only_  wolf he answers to is me, and I to him.  He is my second in command and his word is my word.  You had better show him more respect than you do me or we’re going to have a problem.  Disrespecting your Beta is disrespecting your Alpha and that will not be tolerated.  Am I clear?”  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” the words come again.  
  
“Excellent,” Jensen says, for all appearances pleased with the meeting, but Jared knows better.  He can sense something bothering the Alpha.  “Then I give you leave to continue with your business,” he says in dismissal, turning and guiding Jared out of the chamber with a hand on his lower back again.  
  
Jensen’s eyes are sharp and alert and his touch is protective, posture cautious, as he walks them back out to the car.  Jensen is silent as they both climb into the car and he slips behind the wheel, turning the motor on a second after the door is shut.  Jared definitely knows something is on the Alpha’s mind as they sit in the parking lot with the air conditioning on low and the car in standby.  
  
“Jensen, what is it?” Jared ventures softly.  
  
“It’s nothing,” Jensen says dismissively.  
  
“No, it’s not,” Jared states.  “Now, are you going to treat me like the Beta of this Pack and let me know what’s going on?  Or are you going to just keep me in the dark?  Because I can only help if I know what’s going on and what you’re thinking,” he says as Jensen swings slightly surprised green eyes his way.  “I am your mate and you are my Alpha, and if you tell me it’s not my business, I’ll let it go.  But what you said in front of your chancellors… if you meant to give me so much power, why not take advantage of it and let me share whatever burdens you?”  
Jensen stares at him for a moment longer before finally speaking.  
  
“You’re right,” he sighs.  “I can’t protect you from everything, even though I’d like to, and I can’t keep you in the dark either.  It’s not fair to you.  You’re a strong, intelligent wolf, and I just feel so strongly for you sometimes that I forget you can take care of yourself.  But I promise to try harder to remember that.”  
  
“Good,” Jared agrees.  “Because I want to be your partner, not a kept beta.  Now, what’s got you so bothered?”  
  
“There are some who aren’t loyal to me on the Council,” Jensen says cryptically.  “And something tells me that they have ties to San Antonio.”  
  
Jared’s blood runs cold at Jensen’s words.  
  
“You think your Council worked with my father to get rid of me?” Jared asks.  
  
“I think there’s a high probability that several of them conspired with your father against me to remove you from my life, but I don’t think they counted on us consummating our relationship,” Jensen says.  “They probably hoped to have you gone before I had the opportunity to mark you.”  
  
“Why?” Jared shakes his head, trying to figure out what good it would do anyone to have him out of the way.  
  
“It may have been my erratic behavior before we mated.  I wasn’t particularly pleasant or making very wise decisions at the time, but it’s probably political, to be honest.  There’s no shortage of alphas who would love to challenge me for the Pack, and others have tried before,” Jensen shrugs.  “I’m glad, now more than ever, that you didn’t hold out on coming to me any longer than you did, but even if they’d managed to set their plan in motion before we sealed our mating, I would have still come for you.”  
  
“But your claim wouldn’t have been as strong and you would have had to declare war on San Antonio,” Jared points out, which may have been the goal now that he thinks about it.  “As it was, my father all but declared war on Dallas, but if we hadn’t mated yet… fuck, he’d still have had every right to have locked me away from you forever.”  
  
“I would have done whatever I had to in order to bring you back,” Jensen declares passionately, reaching for Jared and grasping him tightly, pulling him close across the console as his eyes blaze bright.  
  
“I know,” Jared offers him a small smile, reaching back for his mate.  
  
“I’d go to war with every Alpha, every Pack in this state for you,” Jensen vows and it makes Jared’s heart speed up.  
  
“What are you going to do about the Council?” Jared asks, still trying to catch his breath from Jensen’s intensity.  
  
“Expose them, flush out the traitors,” Jensen answers.  “And then I’m going to give them the Alpha’s Justice.”  
  
“You’re going to execute them?” Jared asks, eyes wide.  
  
“Or brand them Omegas and give them a small head start,” Jensen says darkly.  “They hurt you, Jay.  They’re lucky they’ll get a choice in the sentencing.  I’d much prefer to rip their hearts out of their chests with my own two hands.”  
  
“I know,” Jared nods.  
  
He also knows that being branded an Omega and released instead of banished is a death sentence too.  The Pack will hunt them down and whichever wolf brings back the head of a traitor will be greatly rewarded by their Alpha.  It’s a bit medieval, but it’s one way to keep Jensen’s hands relatively clean.  Either way, Jared knows it has to be done.  
  
And he can’t imagine the depth of betrayal Jensen feels.  Jared knows that these wolves are ones he selected himself or with the aid of his father, that they vetted and interviewed and chose to serve on his Council.  To have them plot against him and to take away his mate is a worse crime than what his father did.  In Gerald’s defense, which Jared is loath to give him an inch of, he at least had no loyalty to Dallas Pack.  But these wolves have all taken a blood oath to protect their Pack and their Alpha.  And now they’re going to pay for it with their lives.  
  
“Who do you think the traitor is?” Jared asks, leaning over the counter as the Alpha cooks their dinner.  
  
“I have my suspicions,” Jensen says.  “I think it was more than one chancellor, though.”  
  
“That makes sense,” Jared agrees.  “But what I can’t puzzle out is what they would stand to gain from isolating me from you.  I mean, I understand that it would have created the perfect circumstances for you to start a war with San Antonio, and I say that because I’m pretty sure  _that_  was the ultimate goal.”  
  
“As do I,” Jensen concurs pensively.  “I’m all but certain that they were hoping for war and that I’d die at the hands of your father.”  
  
“So they could do what?  Stage a coup?” Jared asks.  “They’d have still had to go through your sister.”  
  
“It’s not the first time someone’s tried to end our bloodline,” Jensen says.  “And after her, the Alpha seat would go to whoever eliminated my family.”  
  
Jensen falls quiet for a moment and Jared doesn’t say anything, knowing, sensing that Jensen needs a little time to gather his thoughts.  
  
“When I said that there were factions bent on hurting my family because of the policies my father and brother were introducing, the ones who killed my brother, the ones I hunted down, they were never completely silenced.  Just subdued,” Jensen sighs.  “I tracked the known leaders and took them out, but I didn’t know who followed them or if there were others higher up.  I’ve since pushed a lot of new Pack Law through and I know that not all of my chancellors have supported me.  They’re not all  _mine_.”  
  
“What do you mean by that?” Jared asks.  
  
“A few were on my father’s Council,” Jensen answers.  “And I fear the ones responsible for your abduction may have been behind his assassination attempt too.”  
  
“You didn’t pick all of your chancellors?” Jared asks, a little surprised.  
  
“When I came back from South America, I wasn’t prepared to take full control of the Pack,” Jensen begins.  “My father had recovered, but he’d never be the same, he’d never get his strength back like he had before.  So we decided that I’d keep half of his Council to help me transition.  I’ve replaced a few of them, but the rest I never got around to releasing from duty.”  
  
“Is that something you’re going to do?” Jared asks.  
  
“I may,” Jensen says.  “It’s oftentimes hard to bring on chancellors from the old Alpha to the new one.  It’s not always easy for them to discern where their loyalties lie and I know that some of them don’t appreciate some upstart of a wolf ordering them around when they’ve been dealing with Pack business for longer.  That’s why they’re always replaced when there’s a new Alpha.  And if I don’t have the complete loyalty of a chancellor, then I have no use for them and will have to release them.  But that’s only if none of them have turned already.”  
  
“You’ll be careful, though, won’t you?” Jared implores.  
  
“Of course,” Jensen nods.  “But I’d like for you to have my back on this one, Jay.”  
  
“I’ve always got your back,” Jared promises.  
  
“That’s not…,” Jensen stops himself.  “I’m holding a meeting tonight in my office.  I’ve got Chris and Vicki from Denton Pack coming and we’re going to recruit a few of my loyal chancellors to put a plan in motion.  I want you to be there.  This involved you, and you are my Beta.  You have every right to be there, but the choice is yours.”  
  
“I’ll come,” Jared says without hesitation.  “I want to get these sons of bitches too.”

* * *

The Council building is dark when they arrive, everyone having gone home when the day ended around five, and not even the cleaning crew remaining.  Jensen leads Jared through the halls to his office and lets them in.  
  
It’s strange to Jared how familiar the room feels to him.  It’s like he’s been here before.  He recognizes photos of Jensen and his family around the office, spies law books and historical tomes lining the bookshelves, and a big chair that matches the one in Jensen’s downtown office.  It makes him smile.  And blush, just a little.  
  
“For you,” Jensen says, pulling Jared out of his musings and handing him a key.  
  
“What’s that?” Jared asks, taking the key and inspecting it.  
  
“It’s the only other key to this room that exists,” Jensen states.  “And it’s yours.”  
  
“I… thank you,” Jared says, taking his keys out and adding it to his own collection.   
  
The Alpha handing him the key to his office is quite a big deal, maybe even bigger than getting the key to his house.  There’s a lot of trust that goes into such a gesture and Jared’s not untouched by it.   
  
“There’s no one else I’d give this to than my beta,” Jensen tells him and gives him one of his small, private smiles that always make Jared fall even more in love with him.  
  
Footsteps approach the office moments later, and Chris pops his head in followed by an Alpha Jared doesn’t really know.  She’s got long, dark hair and is vaguely familiar but Jared can’t place her for anything.  
  
“Hey, glad you could make it!” Jensen says, going to his friend and hugging him before turning to the other Alpha and doing the same.  
  
“We’re only too happy to help,” the Alpha says as they part.  “Besides, we both know you’d do the same for us.”  
  
“Hey, Jared,” Chris greets him, a warm smile on his usually serious face.   
  
“Hey, Chris,” Jared returns, infinitely glad he’s now in Chris’s Circle of Trust.  “Good to see you.”  
  
“You too, man,” Chris says.  
  
“How’s Steve?”  
  
“Great,” Chris answers and gets a dreamy, far off look on his face.  “So great.”  
  
“Anyway,” Jensen clears his throat, amused gaze going from Chris and Jared back to the Alpha Jared doesn’t know.  “Jared, this is Vicki,” he introduces her to Jared.  “Alpha of Denton Pack.  Vicki, this is my mate and Beta of my Pack, Jared Padalecki.  He’s here to make sure we stay on task and behave,” he jokes and they all share a laugh.  
  
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Jared,” Vicki says, sticking out a hand that he takes.  “I’ve heard so much about you.”  
  
“Oh?” Jared arches an eyebrow.  Seems Jensen likes to talk about him way more than he originally thought.  
  
“Good things, I promise,” Vicki assures him with a gentle smile and a final shake of his hand before releasing him.   
  
“Great, so now that we’ve all been introduced, how about we get down to business?” Chris suggests.   
  
“Sounds good to me,” Jensen says, pulling a piece of paper from a folder on top of his desk.  “I’ve drawn up a list of all of the chancellors on the Council and known associates, even though all of them check out.”  
  
“That’s the problem, though, isn’t it?” Vicki asks as Jensen hands her the list.  “It’s not unlike politicians to have backchannels and connections that no one else knows about.  It’s entirely too likely a scenario.”  
  
“I agree,” Chris says, looking on with Vicki.  “Jen, we might not be able to get to the bottom of this.  And I’m not just talking about tonight.  If it goes as deep as we’re all afraid of, then the people following orders may not even know who’s calling the shots.”  
  
Jensen shoots Chris a cold look that almost has Jared backing up.   
  
“Look man, I just want you to be prepared for anything,” Chris says and Jensen’s eyes grow bright as his fangs drop.   
  
“Someone came into my territory and took my mate in broad daylight, quite possibly the same someone who tried to have my father killed and murdered my brother,” Jensen says, rage barely held in check in his voice, the last words barely more than a growl through clenched teeth that makes Jared’s heart hurt.  “I want to know who and I want them punished.  Immediately.  And I will do  _anything_  to ensure that happens.”  
  
Cool, calm, and collected Jensen doing such a quick turn about and losing control seems to knock everyone off balance for a moment.   
  
“We understand, Jensen,” Vicki says finally and Chris’s head snaps in her direction as he levels those cool blue eyes on her.  
  
“ _I_  understand,” Chris states, gaze narrowing.   
  
“ _Chris_ ,” Jensen starts, tone warning him as Jared watches him pull his wolf back.  
“She’s not mated,” Chris snipes.  “She wouldn’t know what it’s like.”  
“I wouldn’t be so quick to assume,” Jensen counters, control back in place.  “Now, let’s keep our heads and work on this together, please?”  
  
“Of course,” Vicki agrees quickly, not even deigning to look in Chris’s direction.  
  
When Chris doesn’t immediately voice his agreement too, Jensen cuts him a look that makes Jared squirm and Chris grit his teeth and look away, giving in with a huff.  Jared almost preens at knowing that Jensen’s definitely the most dominant wolf in the room tonight.      
  
“Chris?” Jensen prompts him.  
  
“Yeah, alright,” Chris agrees.  “You’re worse than Steve.  I hope you know that.”  
  
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Jensen cracks a smile and Chris rolls his eyes, tension diffused just as quickly as it arose.  “Anyone stand out to either of you?”  
  
“My gut tells me it’s Fuller,” Chris says.  “He’s slimy and he gives me the fucking creeps.”  
  
“Fuller?” Jensen lifts an eyebrow.  “I don’t think so, Chris.  I picked him myself.”  
  
“And there’s no way you could be wrong?” Chris drawls.  
  
“I know he’s a bit odd, but I just don’t think it’s him,” Jensen says.  “What about Nemec?  He’s from my father’s Council.”  
  
“Yeah, but he’s a beta,” Chris says dismissively and it makes Jared do a double take.  
  
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Jared asks, speaking up for the first time since the introductions, and maybe he’s supposed to be staying out of the conversation, but he just couldn’t let it go without making them see what a mistake they’re making.  
  
“What’s  _what_  got to do with anything?” Chris returns.  
  
“That he’s a beta,” Jared clarifies.  “What does his status have to do with his innocence?”  
  
“Well,” Chris starts and then flounders for a moment.  “Alphas are more aggressive, they try to get ahead and want to be on top of everything else.  And betas are thinkers, feelers.  I don’t think a beta would be capable of something like this.”  
  
“And that’s where you’d be wrong,” Jared states.  “You’re overlooking an entire status of wolves because you’re thinking like an alpha and stereotyping them.  We don’t all fit into a nice, neat box.”  
  
“What do you suggest?” Chris says after exchanging a look with Jensen.  
  
“Don’t exclude betas because you think we’re weaker or less likely to do something underhanded,” Jared says.  “Besides, who do you think invented underhandedness?  It certainly wasn’t brash, bold alphas.”  
  
“He’s not wrong,” Vicki agrees.  “There are twelve wolves on this Council, and they should all be examined and judged the same, whether they’re an alpha or a beta.  They’re all under suspicion at this point.”  
  
“I agree,” Jensen gives them all a curt nod.   
  
“Who all is from your father’s Council again?” Chris asks.  “Maybe we should start there, especially if this is someone involved in your brother’s death.  The wolves you appointed might be complicit now, but I doubt they were there at the beginning, if they’re even involved at all.”  
  
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Jensen says thoughtfully and then lists off, “Sebastian Roche, Mark Pellegrino, Mitch Pileggi, Corin Nemec, and Rachel Miner.  Those are the chancellors from my father’s council.”  
  
“All right, let’s just go down the list,” Chris suggests.  “Roche.”  
  
“He’s loyal,” Jensen states.  “No questions.”  
  
“You’re certain?” Chris asks.  
  
“Very,” Jensen replies.  
  
“Okay, Pellegrino,” Chris says.  “I’ve dealt with him before, haven’t I?”  
  
“He’s State Pack Liaison and current Head Chancellor,” Jensen answers.  “Jared, did you ever meet him when you were younger?”  
  
“I might have,” Jared responds.  “I think he came to meetings with my father a few times, but I was never allowed to accompany him.  That privilege fell to my brother.”  
  
“He’s not a wolf you’d forget,” Jensen says and Jared agrees.  He can still feel the coldness in the man’s gaze from when Jensen announced their mating.  “Now, Pileggi has been around forever.  I think he was on my father’s original Council.  He’s known my family since before my brother was born.  I don’t want to believe that he’d do anything to betray us, but I’d be remiss to exclude him on that alone.”  
  
“And Nemec?  Miner?” Vicki asks.   
  
“Nemec was my father’s last appointment,” Jensen says.  “He’s a little cocky, but he’s been very cooperative so far with the new Pack Laws, even made some of his own suggestions that made it into the final drafts.”  
  
“But still suspect,” Chris says and Jensen nods hesitantly.  “Miner?”  
  
“She’s always been a little distant, very businesslike,” Jensen says of the last of his father’s chancellors.  “She helped me a lot during my transition in the beginning, but she never got too friendly.  She always insisted on remaining completely professional, so I can’t say I know her personally, but she’s been a very strong chancellor and a solid advocate for me.”  
  
“If only more chancellors were like her,” Vicki says.  “I think we’ve got a lot of work cut out for us.  If one or more of these chancellors has turned, there’s no telling how deep the network runs.”  
  
“But if you cut off the head of a snake,” Chris begins with a pointed look.  
  
“I’ve been wrong about that before, though,” Jensen reminds them all.   
  
“What does your gut say?” Chris asks, turning his focus to Jared’s mate.  
  
Jensen stares back, taking several deep breaths before he speaks again.  
  
“Whoever is leading this, they want the Alpha Seat,” Jensen says.   
  
“Then we find out who wants to be king,” Chris states.  
  
“What do you think?” Jensen asks, turning to Jared.  
  
“I really don’t know,” Jared shakes his head.  “I mean, I appreciate you guys asking for my thoughts on things, but I’m just here to support Jensen, as his Beta, aren’t I?”  
  
“That’s not the only reason you’re here,” Chris says.  “You are here because you are Beta of Dallas and this is incredibly important Pack business, yes, but if you haven’t noticed, we’re all alphas.  Even most of the chancellors are alphas.  You’re the only beta here.”  
  
“What Chris is trying to say is that oftentimes we alphas rule out or ignore things that betas and omegas pick up,” Vicki says.  “Like how we were all so quick to dismiss a beta and suspect an alpha.  You spoke up and reminded us that deviousness takes all forms.”  
  
Jared looks to Jensen, asking without speaking if this is really what he’s looking for, why he’s brought Jared along.  Jared doesn’t know if Chris is like this with Steve—he can imagine Steve doesn’t take lightly to being treated like some delicate flower—and he doesn’t know much about Vicki, but he does know that if his mother were to offer up her two cents his father would have… well, it wouldn’t have been anything close to pleasant.  
  
Jensen seems to understand his hesitation and gives him an encouraging nod as he sends warmth and reassurance through their bond.  
  
“I think Jensen is right,” Jared says.  “I think that whoever is pulling the strings up here in Dallas also helped my father track me down and take me.  Whoever it is wanted him to go to war with San Antonio and die there so that the Alpha position would be left vulnerable and the Alpha line with only one heir.”  
  
“One heir is easily removed,” Vicki says.   
  
“Someone is bound to be angry that you survived,” Chris says.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen sighs.  “And I don’t want to voice it yet, but I have a feeling I know who it is.”  
  
“Jensen, we’ve got to think this through,” Chris starts.  “You’re hard to touch.  They won’t come after you in your own territory, definitely not after another Pack Alpha failed to get rid of you.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen says, casting his gaze back to Jared.  
  
Chris isn’t wrong either.  It’s difficult to kill a Pack Alpha.  They’re powerful, strong, fast, and typically well-protected.  More often than not, those trying to assassinate Pack Alphas either end up getting killed by the Alpha or torn apart by the Pack itself for daring to try.  Their mates, on the other hand...  
  
“It’s me,” Jared says what everyone else is thinking.  It’s written on their faces.  “I’m the way to get to him.”  
  
“You don’t seem too surprised,” Vicki tilts her head curiously.  
  
“It’s the obvious way to go,” Jared points out.  “If you can’t get an alpha, get their beta.  What happens to me will affect him.  If they hurt me, it’ll make him reckless and desperate to get to me.  If they kill me…”  
  
“I’ll die too,” Jensen finishes.   
  
“Do we have a plan?” Chris asks.  
  
“Maybe,” Jensen says.  “But for it to work, we need to recruit a chancellor that’s loyal to me, someone quiet and unassuming, someone no one else will suspect.”  
  
“Any ideas?” Vicki asks.  
  
“My most recent appointment,” Jensen answers.  “Jewel Staite.  She’s young, has a family.”  
  
“Has a lot to lose,” Chris notes.  “All right.  Let’s get Chancellor Staite in here and see if we can’t get a read on her.  If she’s still loyal, we could use her.”  
  
“I’ll go collect her,” Vicki volunteers, exiting the office.  
  
The moment she’s gone, Chris cuts Jensen another look.  
  
“Don’t look at me like that,” Jensen says.   
  
“Like what?” Chris asks.   
  
“Like I have no idea what I’m doing,” Jensen responds irritably.  
  
“Well, do you?” Chris questions.  “Because sometimes it seems like we’re just flying by the seat of our pants.  Now, you had your shit completely together when we went to San Antonio.”  
  
At that, Jared perks up.  Jensen hasn’t spoken much about what happened before he took off to save Jared and he’s more than a little curious.  
  
“That was different,” Jensen says.  “It was an outside threat.”  
  
“It wasn’t  _that_  different,” Chris points out.  “All I’m saying is, I don’t want to go off half cocked here.  I’m your friend and your ally, and I will follow your lead, whatever it is.  I just want to make sure you go into this as calm and collected as I know you can be.  If we’re dealing with traitors on your Council, especially ones who have been betraying you and your family for years, then we have to be careful and we have to be thorough.”  
  
“Wise words from one of the most impulsive men I know,” Jensen teases and Chris rolls his eyes.  
  
“That’s all Steve,” Chris admits with a fond chuckle as Vicki comes back in.  
  
“I’ve sent an Authority officer with an official summons,” she announces.  “She should arrive shortly.”  
  
Chris and Jensen put their heads together, going over the list again and again while Vicki listens in with Jared, cutting him looks that make him smile whenever Chris and Jensen butt heads or make rude comments to each other.  Jared never thought he’d be this comfortable with being surrounded by alphas--Pack Alphas, even--but he can’t help but sense Vicki’s cool, accepting demeanor and Chris’s steadfast loyalty to Jensen, his affection for Jared’s mate obvious.   
  
Jared’s about to ask Vicki about her territory when an Authority officer knocks and escorts a clearly anxious beta into the office.   
  
“Thank you, Walsh,” Jensen says and the officer nods before exiting and shutting the door behind him.  “Chancellor Staite, have a seat,” Jensen waves his hand to one of the chairs that’s unoccupied.  
  
“Thank you , Alpha,” she says in a quiet voice that wobbles just a little at the end.  
  
She sits and Jared notices the tension in her body, her knees tight and shaky, her hands wringing and fiddling with the strap on her purse, seemingly doing anything to take her mind off of why she must be here at this hour.   
  
“Chancellor Staite,” Jensen begins.  “It has come to my attention that there are some on the Council that have their own agenda, one that would see me out of power by any means, including kidnapping my mate and wiping out my family line.”  
  
The chancellor stares at him open-mouthed, like she never could have imagined those words being spoken in her wildest nightmares.  She tries to speak a few times, mouth opening and closing, but it’s clear she’s at a loss for words.  
  
“Alpha, I--”  
  
“Have you betrayed your Alpha?!” Chris demands suddenly, snarling in the terrified beta’s face.  “Have you forsaken your blood oath and conspired against him?”  
  
“I don’t… what are you… I don’t know,” she stutters and Jared can tell by the wide-eyed shock on her face, her very  _open_  face, that Chris is only going to succeed in frightening her.  When it becomes obvious that no one else is going to step in, Jared takes it upon himself to do something.  
  
“Let me, Alpha,” Jared requests quietly, stepping toward the chancellor.  
  
Chris gives him a curt nod and stands down, moving out of Jared’s way and crossing his arms over his chest, making himself appear more imposing and fierce than he already does.  
  
Jared kneels in front of the chancellor and gives her a soft look, trying his best to make her feel comfortable, like she can trust him, like he’s on her side and he won’t hurt her.  
  
“Jewel, right?” he asks in a calm tone.  
  
She nods jerkily in response, barely meeting his eyes, not really able to pull them from where Chris is glowering in the corner and Jensen is standing in stony silence.  
  
“Am I in trouble?” Jewel asks in a trembling voice.  
  
“No,” Jared answers.  “Not yet.  But I do need your help.  Think you can do that, for me?”  
  
“Of course, Beta,” she nods eagerly and he feels pride explode in his chest at her acknowledging his title so naturally.   
  
“You’re loyal to me and our Alpha, correct?” Jared asks.  
  
“I am,” she says, voice wavering.  
  
“Are you mated?” Jared asks.  
  
“Yes,” Jewel nods and bites her lip.  
  
“Have any pups?”  
  
“Two,” she answers.  “Two boys, one alpha and one beta.  But we’re trying again.  We’d really like a girl,” she gives him a watery smile.  
  
“I bet they’re beautiful children,” Jared returns her smile.  “It’s obvious you’re proud of them.”  
  
She nods as a few stray tears slip out.  It hurts Jared’s heart to see her so afraid, but he knows he’ll be able to get more out of her with kindness than Chris would bullying her.  
  
“And you’d do anything to protect them, to make sure they grow up safe,” Jared says.  “You would never take a risk like working against your Alpha, something that carries the penalty of death, something that would take you away from your children and your mate.  Not when you’re trying for your third child.”  
  
Jewel turns white at the mention of the death penalty and shakes her head vigorously in denial.   
  
“I would never,” she gasps, pleads for him to believe her.  
  
“You would never betray your Alpha, would you?” Jared presses.  
  
“No,” Jewel responds with certainty.  
  
“Do you know anything of the plot to have me kidnapped?” Jared asks.  “You can tell me.  We can protect you if you’re being threatened or coerced.  You and your family are safe with us, but  _only_  with us.”  
  
“I… I don’t know anything,” Jewel confesses.  “No one has said anything to me, I swear.  I would never do anything to hurt you, Beta.  Either of you.”  
  
“I know,” Jared gives her a small smile.  “But we’ve got to be careful, we’ve got to be sure.  You understand?”  
Jewel nods again.  
  
“We need to know which chancellors are loyal,” he continues.  
  
“I don’t understand,” Jewel says, a look of confusion crossing her face.  “We’re all loyal.  We took blood oaths to the Alpha.”  
  
“The problem with that is some of the chancellors took blood oaths to Jensen’s father first,” Jared says.  “Chancellors are bound by loyalty to one Alpha for life.  So you see how it could be easy for some of them to betray my mate without fear of the blood oath.  But that’s not to say some of the ones sworn to Jensen couldn’t have turned either.  Anything is possible at this point.”  
  
“Why?  Why would chancellors, even Alpha Alan’s chancellors, do that?” Jewel looks shocked.  
  
“I suspect it might have something to do with a job started several years ago,” Jared begins.  “One that put an Alpha in intensive care and killed his firstborn.  These are chancellors that have turned on their Alpha before.  Who’s to say they wouldn’t turn on the one in power now?  Or after they’re done with us, the Council itself?”  
  
“What do you need me to do?” Jewel offers instantly.  
  
“I need you to be my eyes and ears in the Council,” Jared says.  “Listen carefully to what the other chancellors say and  _how_  they say it.  If you have so much as a weird feeling about any of them, I want you to tell me immediately.”  
  
“I will,” Jewel vows.  
  
“You know we’ve got to take this one step further, though,” Jared says.  “I know I have your word, but I require a more solid guarantee than that.  Will you be my Council liaison and swear a blood oath to me?”  
  
“I would be honored, Beta,” Jewel flushes.  “But surely there’s a worthier wolf.  I’ve only been on the Council a year and no one pays me any mind.”  
  
“I like you,” Jared replies with a smile.  “And I don’t want a Council veteran.  I’d rather have someone not set in their ways, someone I can work with.  Will you be that for me?”  
  
“Yes, Beta,” Jewel agrees.  
  
“I’m glad,” Jared says and then turns to his mate.  “Can you get me a knife?”  
  
Jensen nods and goes to his desk, retrieving a ceremonial knife and putting it into Jared’s hand.  
  
“I know this is usually done in front of the Council, but I think with three Alphas here, we’ll be fine,” Jared says.  “Besides, this is going to be our little secret for now.  You serve me well and you’ll be greatly rewarded,” he states, taking the knife and cutting his hand.  “Betray me, and there’ll be nowhere you can hide.”  
  
Jewel meets his eyes then, and he can tell it’s hard for her, but he’s glad she made the effort, and then she nods again, accepting his terms.  Jared takes his hand and turns it palm up before dipping his finger into the blood and lifting the reddened tip to her chest.  
  
“Begin,” he commands softly.  
  
She starts the pledge, reciting the words of the blood oath as he draws his mark just below her throat in the sticky, bright red blood.  It’s a mark he’s seen in some of Misha’s history books for Dallas Pack, and it’s not so different from the one he’s seen his mother use when wolves pledged themselves into her service.   
  
Jared speaks the words of the Beta’s acceptance, sealing the oath she made to him.  
  
“Speak of this to no one, not even your mate.  Be patient and loyal, and you will be rewarded for your service,” he says.  
  
“Yes, Beta,” she agrees.   
  
“You may go,” Jared dismisses her.  “We’ll meet here in two days’ time to discuss anything you’ve learned.”  
  
“Thank you, Beta,” she bows her head and then leaves as fast as she can.  
  
“What did you just do?” Chris asks the moment the door is shut and they’re alone again.  
  
“He just secured us a spy,” Jensen smiles proudly as Jared wipes his hand and the blade off and returns it to his mate.  
  
“You gonna be doing that with all of them?” Chris asks, glancing back and forth between Jensen and Jared.  
  
“Once the Council is ours again,” Jensen answers and Jared nods in agreement.  
  
“But for now, just her,” Jared adds.  “She’s quiet, flies under the radar of the older chancellors.  They won’t pay her much attention.  It’ll be much easier for her to listen unnoticed than if we’d recruited someone more visible.”  
  
“Speaking of visible chancellors,” Jensen starts.  “I want Roche in on this too.”  
  
“More people means more possibilities for leaks,” Vicki says.  
  
“Sebastian took a bullet for my father the day my brother was killed,” Jensen states.  “He’s good.”  
  
Chris looks like he’s about to argue, but Jared steps in.  
  
“If you trust him, then that’s good enough for me,” Jared supports Jensen.  
  
“Bring him in then,” Chris sighs, grumbling in his corner.  
  
“I’ve already texted him,” Jensen informs them.  “He should be here in a few minutes.  
  
Not ten minutes later, there’s a knock at the door.  Jensen answers and ushers Sebastian in, sitting him down where Jewel had been moments before.  The man lounges coolly and patiently, eyes studying everyone else in the room, looking both unaffected and curious all at the same time.  It baffles Jared just a bit.  
  
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Alpha?” Sebastian asks in an accented voice eventually.  Jared seems to recall something being mentioned about him being the Pack’s international liaison.  That he’d emigrated from Europe and he and Alan had been longtime friends.  
  
“Let me see your scar,” Jensen says.  
  
“Alpha?”  
  
“Show me the scar where you were shot,” Jensen states more firmly.  
  
Sebastian gives him a curious look but lifts his shirt anyway.  And there it is, a dark pink scar from a high velocity round at close range.  It looks like it should have killed him and it makes Jared sick to know that the round was meant to kill Jensen’s father.  That the same people that plotted to hurt Alan are the same ones that plotted Jared’s kidnapping and would not hesitate to have Jensen killed.  The thought makes his blood run cold.  
  
“Why were you shot?” Jensen asks.  
  
“You know why,” Sebastian blinks at him owlishly.  
  
“Humor me,” Jensen says.  
  
“I was shot because I got in between a psychopath with a gun and my Alpha and his family,” Sebastian says.  
  
“Do you regret it?”  
  
“No.  Never,” Sebastian answers.  “My only regret is that I couldn’t save them both.”  
  
“Would you do it again?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Without hesitation,” Sebastian says.   
  
Jensen casts a look toward Chris and Vicki then, almost as if to ask if they’re on board too.  Chris tightens his jaw, but nods, and Vicki tilts her head in agreement as well.  
  
“Alpha, what’s this about?” Sebastian asks.  
  
“We have traitors on the Council,” Jensen says.  
  
“That’s disturbing, though not all that surprising,” Sebastian responds.  “In some parts of the world it’s almost expected for chancellors to attempt a coup.  It’s almost tradition for the Alpha and the Council to be suspicious of each other.”  
  
“Really?” Jared asks, a bit surprised.  Damn his sheltered childhood.  
  
“Well, that’s mostly Eastern Europe,” Sebastian says.  “We’re more civilized in the West.  We would sooner take our own lives than renege on a blood oath, and we’d certainly never betray the bloodline in such a fashion.  Our blood oaths are to the Alpha and the Alpha’s family, not just one wolf.  But then again, we do things a little differently in the old world.”  
  
“Why is it not like that over here?” Jared asks, digesting the information.  
  
“Politics, I suspect,” Sebastian shrugs and then sits up straighter.  “So, Alpha, Beta,” he addresses them.  “What do you want with little old me?”  
  
“I want you to stir the pot,” Jensen says.  
  
“Consider it done,” Sebastian grins wolfishly.

* * *

Jared comes to slowly, feeling warm and nice in his and Jensen’s bed.  He reflects on their activities a few nights ago, how Jewel had pledged a blood oath to him, how Sebastian had come out as one of Jensen’s and Alan’s biggest advocates, and how Chris and Vicki had stood by Jensen and helped them both through questioning the motives of his chancellors.  
  
It’s not long before he starts to feel a bit queasy, his stomach turning.  He clamps down on the urge to rush to the bathroom to let it all out and breaks into a sweat for his effort.  He hates throwing up.  It’s the worst thing ever, and he’s not about to give in to it now.  But before he knows it, he’s out of bed, scrambling to the toilet and emptying an insignificant amount of anything.  
  
He’s shaky afterward, but he feels at least a little better as he makes himself stand up straight and get cleaned up.  He glances at his reflection and doesn’t like the slightly grey tint to his skin.  He hopes like hell he’s not coming down with something, but with all of the craziness and the late nights recently, he wouldn’t be surprised if he picked something up.   
  
Jared changes into his clothes for the day, keeping it business casual as he’s going to be occupying Jensen’s Council office, and he makes himself as presentable as he’s bound to get before heading to the kitchen to meet Jensen.  
  
“Hey,” he says as soon as he rounds the corner and sees his mate.  
  
“Hey,” Jensen returns, looking up from his laptop and staring long and hard at Jared.  “Are you okay?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared answers with a small smile.  “My stomach was just a little upset.  It’s nothing.  Probably just something I ate or maybe a bug I picked up in San Antonio that’s just now making itself known.”  
  
“You want to see a doctor?” Jensen offers, closing his laptop and giving Jared his full attention.  
  
“I’ll be fine,” Jared assures the Alpha.  “I promise.”  
  
“Okay,” Jensen agrees reluctantly.  “But if you change your mind--”  
  
“You’ll be the first to know,” Jared finishes.  “You about to head out?”  
  
“Yeah, I was just waiting on you,” Jensen says as he slides off the barstool and comes over to Jared.   
  
“Waiting on me?” Jared asks.   
  
“I couldn’t go to work without my goodbye kiss, now could I?” Jensen asks with a roguish grin.   
  
“Couldn’t have that,” Jared agrees, smiling back and looping his arms around Jensen.  “Come here, then.”  
  
Jensen kisses him long and slow, his hands warm and steady on Jared’s sides as they complete their pre-work morning ritual.  
  
“Have a good day,” Jared says as they part, whispering the words against Jensen’s skin.   
  
“You too,” Jensen says.  “Call me after your meeting?”  
  
“Absolutely,” Jared agrees.

  
* * *

  
Jared opens the door to Jensen’s office at the knock and is more than pleased to see Chancellor Staite.  
  
“Chancellor,” he greets her with a smile and ushers her into the room.  
  
“Beta,” she returns, following him in and waiting for him to sit at Jensen’s desk before she takes a seat.  
  
“How are you doing?” Jared asks.  
  
“Good, Beta,” she answers quietly.  
  
“Nervous?” he asks.  
  
“A little,” she admits.  
  
“It’s okay,” he gives her a reassuring smile.  “You can take as long as you need to relax.”  
  
“Thank you, Beta,” she says.  
  
“It’s not as scary today with just me, is it?” he says with understanding.  “I know that being in a room with more than one Pack Alpha can be claustrophobic.”  
  
“A little,” she agrees with a small smile.  
  
“So, any news?” he asks.  
  
“The good thing is that no one seems to notice me for the most part, especially not in meetings or in the Council Chamber,” Jewel begins.  “So they don’t censor themselves.  I heard Sebastian Roche saying some pretty radical things the other day, and it shocked me.  He’s always been so devoted to the Alpha and his family.”  
  
“What else did you notice?” Jared asks.  “How did the others react?”  
  
“The others?” she blinks in confusion.  “What about him?”  
  
“Don’t focus on Sebastian,” he says.  “He’s got his orders, just like you.”  
  
“Oh,” she relaxes visibly.  “That makes better sense.”  
  
Jared nods in agreement.  “The other chancellors?”  
  
“There were three who did not contradict him or leave his presence when he started talking,” she informs Jared.  “And they took him aside to speak with him in private.  They thought we’d all left, but I stayed behind and listened.”  
  
“What did you hear?” Jared asks, fighting not to be on the edge of his seat.  
  
“They talked about a group that wants to overthrow you and the Alpha,” she says.  “They talked about eliminating you.  They said that they’d hoped your father would have taken care of the Alpha when he took you from our territory, but that your mating had complicated things and now more extreme measures were necessary.  I-I think they want to kill you.”  
  
“Who?” Jared asks in a tight voice as she confirms every single one of their suspicions.  He wants to rip these wolves limb from limb right now.  
  
“Mitch Pileggi, Corin Nemec, and Mark Pellegrino,” she says, taking in a few shuddering breaths as scared tears fall from her eyes.  “Beta, I’m so sorry.”  
  
“You did well,” Jared says much more calmly than he feels.  It turns his stomach for the second time that day to learn the names of those who wish him and Jensen harm.  “You have nothing to be sorry for.”  
  
“I couldn’t stop them, I couldn’t take them on, and if I had tried to get help from the other chancellors, they wouldn’t have believed me.  They respect Pellegrino too much and would never believe he’d turn on the Alpha or you,” she cries.  “How can I protect you if I’m too scared to act?”  
  
“You  _are_  protecting me,” Jared says.  “By telling me, you’re giving us the advantage.  We’ll get them, I promise.  And what you’re doing is very brave.  Never doubt yourself.  It takes courage to do what you are doing for us.”  
  
“I… thank you, Beta,” she nods.  “I’m just… these are people the Alpha trusted, that  _I_  trusted.  And here they are, plotting to… to… why would they do such a thing?”  
  
“Power, greed,” Jared says.  “One of them wants the Alpha Seat, and he’ll do anything to get it.  But they won’t succeed.”  
  
“Yes, Beta,” Jewel agrees.  
  
“Keep up the good work,” Jared says.  “And stay away from the traitors.  I don’t want anything happening to you either.”  
  
“Thank you, Beta.  I’ll be careful,” she responds.  
  
“Good,” Jared says with a smile.  “I’ll check back with you in a few days.”  
  
She takes the dismissal for what it is and leaves quietly with a slight bow of her head.  Jared doesn’t hesitate to pull his phone out and call Jensen the minute the door shuts behind her.  Before Jensen can get out anything more than a simple  _hello_ , Jared says “Pellegrino, Pileggi, and Nemec.”  
  
“You’re sure?” Jensen’s tone is grave.  
  
“ _She_ is,” Jared says.  “And she’s terrified.”  
  
“If it’s true, then she’s not wrong to be,” Jensen says and then sighs heavily.  “Fuck.  I didn’t want it to be Mark.”  
  
“But you had your suspicions?” Jared inquires.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen answers.  “He’s always been more ambitious than is befitting of a chancellor.”  
  
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” Jared says.  
  
“It’s all right,” Jensen returns and then they fall quiet for a moment before Jensen speaks again.  “Want to meet me for lunch?” he asks.  
  
“Sure, but I’m not all that hungry,” Jared answers, leaning back in his chair and taking a deep, slow breath to help settle his stomach again.  “I haven’t been feeling right since this morning.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen says sympathetically.  “Do you even want to do lunch?  You don’t have to if you’re not feeling well,” he offers.  
  
“No, I’ll be fine,” Jared insists.  “Let’s just do something mild.”  
  
“I know just the place.”

  
* * *

  
“You know, when I said something mild, I didn’t mean home,” Jared teases Jensen as the Alpha brings him a tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of Sprite to where he sits on the sofa.   
  
“You like it when I take care of you,” Jensen replies.  
  
“And you like taking care of me,” Jared says.  
  
“Guilty as charged,” Jensen smiles.  “But I know that when I’m not feeling well the last place I want to be is in public at a noisy restaurant.  I figured this way we could spend time together and I could assuage my guilty feelings of not making you go back to bed this morning by cooking you lunch.”  
  
“Well, then, by all means, cook away,” Jared grins.  
  
“So, tell me what Chancellor Staite said,” Jensen requests as he takes a seat next to Jared with his own bowl of soup.   
  
Jared gives him a more detailed story than his brief report on the phone earlier, Jensen’s face grim and intense as he listens, but Jared doesn’t feel it in their bond.  All he’s getting from Jensen in that regard is an overwhelming sense of protection, of love, and of a driving need to keep Jared safe.  
  
“I need to make a few calls,” Jensen says when Jared’s done, voice calm and steady and Jared can tell it’s taking a lot of Jensen’s energy to do so.   
  
He can tell with just one look into those green eyes how little it takes with this whole betrayal to set off Jensen’s ire, to have his wolf roaring inside of him, thirsting for bloody retribution.  Part of Jared is a little scared by that, by the fact that he knows Jensen is choosing,  _battling_  not to be a raging, violent animal.  The more primal part of Jared, though, it preens and puffs up with pride at the idea that such a  _powerful_  wolf sees him as his equal.  It’s heady and Jared’s wolf revels in it, in how powerful they could be if they only gave in to their savage sides.  
  
“You need me to bring you anything?” Jensen asks, pulling Jared from his thoughts.  
  
“Huh?” Jared responds, staring blankly at his mate.  
  
Jensen looks at him fondly, and, well, Jared was probably projecting a little through their bond, so he’s bound to have some idea of the direction Jared’s thoughts took.   
  
“Would you like for me to get you anything before I make my phone calls?” Jensen clarifies.  
  
“Oh, no,” Jared shakes his head.  “I’m good.  I promise.”  
  
“Okay,” Jensen accepts, leaning over and giving Jared a soft kiss.  “I’ll be back in a bit.”  
  
Jared watches Jensen leave the room before grabbing the remote to his obnoxiously large TV and flipping through the channels.  It’s not difficult to find shows to watch, but finding one worth wasting his time is another story.  He’s finished off his soup and probably made his way through all of the TV stations twice when Jensen plops back down next to him on the sofa.  
  
“So?” Jared prompts when Jensen remains quiet.  
  
“We’re going to have some company for dinner,” Jensen says.  
  
“Who?” Jared asks casually.  
  
“Chris, Vicki, and Sebastian,” Jensen answers.  “We’ve got a plan and we’re putting it in motion.”  
  
“Tonight?” Jared asks, both eyebrows raised as he meets his mate’s gaze.  
  
“Tonight,” Jensen nods.

* * *

Jared watches from the passenger seat of Sebastian’s sports car as the man in question waits in the semi-dark alleyway.  Jared keeps his eyes open and alert for signs of movement but sees none.  He knows Chris and Vicki are out there, watching and waiting, and so is Jensen, who has managed to mask his scent enough to where even Jared can’t find him.  After all, it wouldn’t do for the jig to be up before it even begins.  
  
Just because Jared can’t smell Jensen doesn’t mean he can’t feel the excitement and the anxiousness his mate is experiencing.  He knows that this is likely their only shot at taking these wolves down and that everything hinges on Sebastian.   
  
There’s a strange scent on the breeze and Jared perks up a bit from where he sits.  He can sense the shift in the atmosphere as well as three wolves approaching.  He’s relieved and nervous all at once to see that it’s Pellegrino, Pileggi, and Nemec.  They approach Sebastian at his post and Jared leans closer to the partially opened window, trying to listen in.  
  
“Hello, gentlemen,” Sebastian greets them, voice carrying well enough in the abandoned alley.  “Did you come alone?  Did you make sure you weren’t followed?”  
  
“Of course,” Pellegrino speaks.  “You’re a little paranoid.”  
  
“It’s what keeps me alive,” Sebastian says.  “After all, if this goes sideways, I’m as good as dead, so a little caution is warranted, don’t you think?”  
  
“We’re clean,” Pileggi insists in a firm tone.  
  
“You have something for us?” Pellegrino asks next.  
  
“I do,” Sebastian gives them a cheeky smile.  “I happen to know how you boys can get your hands on a certain Pack Beta.  That is, if you still want him?”  
  
“Oh?” Pellegrino asks.  “Start talking.”  
  
“First, I want to know what my compensation will be,” Sebastian barters.  “I want to know how my new Alpha plans to reward me for my aid in his ascension.”  
  
Jared tenses in his seat.  No one has outright said it yet, but Jared knows this is what Jensen has been afraid of, that Mark Pellegrino is after the Alpha Seat.   
  
“How about Head Chancellor?” Pellegrino offers.  “For the wolf who gave me the Pack.”  
  
“I like the sound of that,” Sebastian grins and accepts Pellegrino’s offer.  “Now, your Beta is right over there, tied up in the front seat of my car,” he points Jared’s way.  
  
“Aw, you gift wrapped him?  For me?” Pellegrino smiles darkly, his pale eyes cutting toward Jared before going back to Sebastian.  “Get him,” he orders Pileggi.  
  
The older wolf nods and moves with intent to Sebastian’s car.  Jared hates the feeling he gets in his stomach at Pileggi’s approach.  He’s tied up and about to be handed over as bait to a man who just might be able to snap his neck before anyone could stop him.  No matter how close Jensen is, he’s not safe.  But if they don’t do this, then none of them are safe.  
  
“Out,” Pileggi orders as he pulls the door open.  “And don’t get any ideas.”  
  
Jared glares at him, tamping down on the urge to kick out, and steps out slowly, drawing himself to his full height.  He’s only slightly disappointed that Pileggi isn’t impressed with him, but after dealing with a wolf like Pellegrino, even a tall, built beta like Jared isn’t going to make him break a sweat.  Jensen, on the other hand, just might crack him though.  
  
“Come along,” Pileggi says, taking hold of Jared’s arm and dragging him back to where the other three wait.  
  
“You will be greatly rewarded for your loyalty tonight,” Pellegrino says with a flash of a grin that Jared wants to punch right off his smug face.  
  
“My thanks,” Sebastian smiles back, his gaze flickering to Jared as Pileggi marches him over.  “And out of curiosity, what do you plan on doing to the beta?”  
  
“Killing him, of course,” Pellegrino says.  
  
“I thought so,” Sebastian returns and then turns serious.  “You were right when you said my loyalty would be rewarded, you know.  It’s just not loyalty to you.  I’ve been working with the Alpha, the  _rightful_  Alpha, and not some common usurper with a lust for power.  And now you are… well, you’re quite fucked, gentlemen.”  
  
Jared feels relief then as Jensen emerges from the dark with two large, fully-shifted wolves at his back.  
  
“Don’t even  _think_  about shifting,” Jensen commands, voice like iron and eyes blazing bright.  And Jared knows the order didn’t come a moment too soon as he watches the burning silver of Pellegrino’s eyes return to their normal pale grey.  
  
The traitors all flinch at the tone of his voice and the explicit order in it, and Jared notes that they all look genuinely afraid of him.  Nemec diverts his gaze and goes belly to the ground when Chris growls, but the two older wolves stand tall, meeting the Alpha head on.   
  
“You  _dare_  conspire to kill my mate?” Jensen snarls.  “I should kill you all where you stand.”  
  
“You don’t have the balls,” Pileggi taunts, letting go of Jared and standing firm next to Pellegrino.  “You proved that in San Antonio when you took orders from your bitch.”  
  
“Try me.  I fucking dare you,” Jensen invites him.  “I would be well within my rights as Alpha to play judge, jury, and executioner to all three of you!  And believe me when I say I’d enjoy doing it.”  
  
“But you’re too righteous,” Pellegrino says.  “So you’re going to put us on trial and have the Pack hunt us down so you don’t have to get your hands dirty.  Well, I won’t be hunted, not like some common criminal.”  
  
“Yes, you will,” Jensen says with no small amount of force.  “You will, and you will die in disgrace.”  
  
“Go to hell!” Pellegrino snaps and lunges forward.  
  
As Jared breaks out of his loose bonds and shifts, he catches the glint of a silver blade in Pellegrino’s hand.  Without a single thought other than getting between Pellegrino and Jensen, Jared rushes forward, lunging in front of his mate, and slams Pellegrino into the asphalt as his teeth close over the other man’s throat.   
  
Jared feels the impact of Pellegrino hitting the ground and then he feels the snap of Pellegrino’s neck as blood fills his mouth.  He pulls off with a menacing growl and takes most of Pellegrino’s throat with him.  As he senses the life go out of the man, the red rage recedes from his vision and he finds himself standing and shifting back into human form as he stares down at the man he’s killed.  
  
He glances around the group and finds all eyes, even those of Nemec and Pileggi on him.  
  
“Anyone else?” he offers in a commanding voice, knowing the gruesome sight he presents, covered in Pellegrino’s blood and stark naked, rage burning bright in his eyes.  
  
Pileggi slips to his knees and then goes belly down next to Nemec.  And then it’s over and they’ve won.  Chris and Vicki shift back and Jensen hands them some gloves while Sebastian produces rope, the same rope that was used to bind him when he was kidnapped, Jared notices.  
  
As Chris and Vicki tie up Nemec and Pileggi, Jensen stands over them and speaks.  
  
“I, Alpha of Dallas Pack, find you, Mitch Pileggi, and you, Corin Nemec, unworthy of this Pack and your stations and guilty of crimes against your Alpha and Beta,” he states in a stone cold voice.  “I hereby decree you both be tried and branded Omegas in public and released with an undetermined head start.  And I will reward any wolves who bring me your heads.  For what you’ve done, for what you’ve planned to do, I  _will_  have your lives.”  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” Pileggi and Nemec accept their sentence with bowed heads.   
  
“Take them to the cells,” Jensen requests of Chris and Vicki.  “Sebastian, can you go with them to make sure they’re locked up tight?”  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” Sebastian nods and moves to prepare Chris’s truck for prisoner transport.  
  
“We’ll call you when we’re done,” Chris informs Jensen as he hauls his prisoner to his feet and forces him to march.  
  
Jensen nods tightly at both Chris and Vicki, and he and Jared stand and watch as the others drive off.  Jensen takes in a shuddering breath and pulls out his phone.  
  
“What are you doing?” Jared asks.  
  
“We’ve got a body to clean up,” Jensen nods toward Pellegrino.  “I’m going to put in the order to the Authority.”  
  
“I’ll go get my clothes then,” Jared says, collecting everything he can and walking back to Sebastian’s car.   
  
His shirt is pretty much a lost cause, but his jeans and shoes are still good, so he pulls them back on.  He’s not the most modest person in the world, but he’s still not about to be wandering around naked when the Authority gets there.  The human officers tend to get a little weird about werewolf nakedness anyway.  
  
Jensen comes over to him after his call is complete and takes the ruined remains of his t-shirt.  He gently uses it to clean off the blood from Jared’s face.  He’s still quiet and Jared can sense something weighing on his mate.  
  
“How’re you holding up?” Jared asks.  
  
“Good, all things considered,” Jensen replies and then steps back a little.  “You killed a man tonight, Jared.”  
  
“I defended my mate,” Jared counters.  “Did you know he had a knife?”  
  
“I couldn’t see,” Jensen shakes his head.  “All I could see was you taking him down,” he’s quiet for a moment and Jared doesn’t know what to say, or even if he should say something at all.  And then Jensen speaks again.  “You’re beautiful, you know that?”  
  
“I am?” Jared asks, a little confused on this train of thought.  
  
“You’re a big, beautiful wolf,” Jensen says with a smile.  “And glorious.”  
  
Jared feels himself flush at his mate’s words and wonders not for the first time if he’ll ever get used to this.   He thinks he probably won’t.   
  
Before he can even begin to think of something to say, flashing lights flood the street as several cruisers and a clean up crew approach them.   
  
“I’ll be right back,” Jensen says and Jared nods, watching the Alpha pull himself up straighter and make his way over to the officers exiting their vehicles.   
  
Jensen exchanges a few words with the Authority officers, hands moving a little as he talks.  He’s not like Jared in that regard.  Jared has almost put out more than one eye when he really gets going in conversation, but Jensen is a little more reserved, using his tone and his intense gaze to make people pay attention to him.  He gestures to where Mark Pellegrino’s body lay, blood pooling in a dark circle around his shoulders.   
  
Jared can’t help but look.  Part of him can’t believe he did that, that he ended a man’s life.  He’s never hurt anyone before.  That’s not him.  But he just knew that Pellegrino was going to hurt Jensen, and he just couldn’t stand by and do nothing.  He doesn’t regret what he did at all, but it feels like it’s changed him in some way.  He just can’t say how yet.  
  
When he looks back to Jensen, he’s already thanking the officers and then coming back to Jared with a small blanket in his hands.   
  
“Here,” Jensen says, wrapping the orange fleece around Jared’s shoulders.  “Until you get home.”  
  
“Until  _I_  get home?  What about you?” Jared asks, holding the blanket closed around his chest and fixing his mate with a look.  
  
“I need to go to the holding cells and question Pileggi and Nemec,” Jensen says.  “There’s a good chance one of them may talk and I need to know if it’s over, if we’re safe.”  
  
There are a million things Jared could say right now, that he needs Jensen to be with him, that they’re never going to be completely safe, but he doesn’t.   
  
“How long do you think you’ll be?” Jared asks instead.  
  
“A few hours,” Jensen answers.  “I want to go home with you, but I need to know, Jay.  I’ll never feel right about this if I don’t follow through one hundred percent.”  
  
“I know,” Jared nods.  “I get it.  Just hurry up?  I could really use my alpha right now and I don’t want you out of my sight for any longer than you have to be.”  
  
“I promise I’ll be home before midnight,” Jensen swears, pulling Jared into his hold and kissing him soundly.  
  
“Okay,” Jared agrees, kissing him one more time before letting him go.  
  
He watches as Jensen gets into a cruiser and is driven away.   
  
Jared stays where he is, leaning against Sebastian’s car and tilting his head back.  The sky is a dark grey, swirling clouds covering everything above the city.  There’s the scent of rain and lightning in the air--so much like Jensen--and a slight chill in the breeze.  He wouldn’t be surprised if it stormed tonight.  
  
“Beta?” a human female asks as she approaches him.  
  
“Yes?” he responds to his title, looking back down at her.  She’s a tiny thing, but the way she holds herself tells him that it’s not a weakness.   
  
“The Alpha asked me to drive you home,” she says.  “When you’re ready, of course.”  
  
“Yeah, I’m good,” he returns, shifting to his feet and following her to her cruiser to go home.

* * *

  
Jared’s only home by himself for two hours at most when Jensen comes back.  Jared wants to get up to greet him, but with the tension he can feel through their bond, he stays where he is and lets his mate come to him.   
  
Jensen collapses on the couch with a heavy sigh moments later, dropping his head back on the cushions and running his hands over his face.  
  
“Mark was the leader all along,” he begins and Jared almost forgets to breathe.  “They planned on wiping out my entire family, but after the very public shooting they couldn’t get that closely involved again so they waited me out.”  
  
Jensen falls silent and Jared counts his own thundering heartbeats as he slowly reaches out and takes Jensen’s hand.  He knows he’s done exactly what his mate needed him to do when Jensen squeezes his hand back and holds it tight before continuing.  
  
“When I came back from South America, they realized that I was going to be nothing like my brother or father, that I wasn’t going to be about teamwork and forgiveness and I wasn’t going to be soft,” Jensen says.  “I made changes for the Pack that earned me a certain reputation as being progressive and forward-thinking, but behind closed doors I was ruthless, I was hard, and I was looking for a knife to come at my back from every corner.  I didn’t have a blind spot.  I was hyper-focused, hyper-vigilant, and it looked to them like their plans for waiting were for naught.  Until I met you.”  
  
Jensen smiles and looks at Jared then.  Jared squeezes Jensen’s hand to let him know it’s okay.  
  
“And then my only focus was you,” Jensen states.  “That was their golden opportunity.  All it took was the right questions to the right people and they knew who you were and who your father is, and a few phone calls later they hatched a plan to have you taken back to San Antonio where they hoped I would fight your father and fail.”  
  
“I’ve never been more glad that you didn’t, Jen,” Jared says softly, taking Jensen’s hand and kissing it.   
  
“I’m just sad that we were right about everything,” Jensen admits.  “But I also know that when Pileggi and Nemec are sentenced, it will be over.  Their entire organization hinged on Mark Pellegrino, and now that he’s dead and there’s no one to replace him, no one who would dare take on me or my strong, fierce Beta, the whole thing has collapsed.”  
  
“That’s a relief,” Jared says.  
  
“Yeah, it kind of is,” Jensen says but sounds like there’s more he wants to say.  
  
“Then what’s bothering you?” Jared asks as the soft patter of rain begins in the background.  
  
“It just feels anticlimactic,” Jensen shrugs.  “After everything we’ve had to face, your kidnapping, my brother’s murder, Mark Pellegrino getting his throat ripped out in an alley, and  _that’s it_?”  
  
“I think we deserve something easy,” Jared says to that.  “Life isn’t always so exciting, you know.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen agrees.  
  
“Bed?” Jared asks.   
  
“Bed,” Jensen nods, giving him a soft smile as they make their way to the bedroom.  
  
They both get ready and settle in under the covers as a soft flash of lightning illuminates the room.  
  
“It’s raining,” Jared says as the trickle of water grows louder and a rumble of thunder can be heard in the distance.  
  
“It is,” Jensen agrees, nuzzling in close.  
  
“Perfect weather for making love,” Jared smiles in the dark.  
  
“Yeah?” Jensen asks.  “You’re not ready to call it a night yet?”  
  
“Nope,” Jared shakes his head.  “Why?  You feeling your age, old man?”  
  
“I’ll show you  _old man_ ,” Jensen grins and tackles Jared, pinning him to the bed with a playful growl.   
  
Jensen dips down for a kiss, soft and sweet, and Jared slides his hands up the back of Jensen’s shirt, fingers digging into every dip and curve in the solid muscle he finds there.  Jensen breaks from his mouth slowly, inhaling deeply as he moves his lips and tongue over the sensitive skin of Jared’s neck.   
  
Jensen stills for a moment before leaning in close, getting a better sniff of Jared.  
  
“What is it?” Jared asks as Jensen presses his nose firmly to his skin, tongue flicking out to taste this time rather than tease.  
  
“There’s something different,” Jensen says like it puzzles him.  “You smell different.”  
  
“I did have another wolf’s blood on me this evening,” Jared reminds him.  
  
“It’s not that,” Jensen shakes his head.  
  
“What do I smell like?” Jared asks, genuinely curious now.  
  
“I can’t really say,” Jensen shrugs.  “It’s not like you did before I marked you, and it’s not like when you were in heat either.   It’s kind of hard to explain because it’s  _you_ , but there’s something  _else_  now.”  
  
“Something else?” Jared raises an eyebrow.   
  
“I don’t know,” Jensen says dismissively.  “Forget I said anything.  It’s probably just me being stressed and you being sick and the blood and everything.  I’m sleep-deprived as hell and maybe I’m just hallucinating.”  
  
“Well, if this is a hallucination, then why are we still clothed?” Jared asks.  “It’s not a very good one, if you ask me.”  
  
“Maybe we should fix that then,” Jensen gives him a grin.  
  
Before Jared knows what’s what, Jensen has them both naked and is pushing Jared onto his hands and knees.  Jared goes with it, wants it.  His dick is heavy and hard between his legs and his hole is wet and wanting, waiting for Jensen to take it.  To give him that knot.  
Like he didn’t just come off his heat.  
  
Jensen’s fingers are gentle but insistent as he opens Jared up, sliding through his slickness easily as Jared rocks back into his hand, urging him faster.  Jensen withdraws and lines himself up, pushing in slowly and running his warm hands over the sensitive skin of Jared’s back.   
  
Jared loves the feeling of Jensen bottoming out.  It’s one of his favorite things in the world, knowing and feeling Jensen buried inside of him as far as he can get.  This time is no exception.  He pitches his head back and Jensen drops himself forward, draping his muscled body across Jared’s as he searches out Jared’s mouth with his own.  
  
Jared turns and meets Jensen for the kiss he’s after but breaks away from his alpha’s sweet mouth when he pulls back and thrusts back in.  Jensen mouths at Jared’s shoulder instead, lips, teeth, and tongue working at his flesh as Jensen fucks him slow and deep, their rhythm matching the pace of the storm outside.   
  
It’s not long before Jared’s arms give out and he collapses face down into a pillow, arching his back and changing the angle of Jensen’s thrusts.  He cries out with every other stroke of Jensen’s cock inside of him, the head finding his prostate more and more frequently, turning his bones into liquid as he fists the sheets in his hands.   
  
Jensen leans down and laces their fingers together, squeezing Jared just as tight as his knot starts to fill.  Jared begins rocking back into him, wanting that knot so badly, knowing that with it he’s chasing his own release.  He bears down seconds later and feels more than hears Jensen’s punched out breath when his knot slides in and grows too large to slide back out.  Jared can’t help but wonder if it feels as good for Jensen as it does for him.   
  
Jensen’s movements change to short thrusts as his knot rubs against Jared’s sweet spot once, twice, and then he’s coming with a strangled moan beneath his alpha, hips bucking back into Jensen and he feels himself contract and squeeze his mate’s cock and knot as he shoots his release onto the sheets.   
  
“God, Jay,” Jensen groans into the back of his neck, teeth worrying at the skin there as he lets out a long groan and stills against Jared.   
  
Jared feels Jensen’s knot swelling and then pulsing as Jensen starts to come inside of him, locked together and both of them riding their orgasms out as the rain falls in a steady patter outside of the window.   
  
Jensen arranges them on their sides, both of them laying comfortably as they come down.  They don’t talk, and Jared finds himself drifting off to the feeling of Jensen’s gentle hands stroking everywhere he can reach and his cock still pumping come into him.

  
* * *

  
Jared wakes a little while later, the rain still coming down steadily outside of the window.  It’s still dark, but something pulled him from sleep, something that makes his insides twist.  It only takes him a few more seconds to figure out that what he’s feeling is coming from Jensen, flooding their bond with anguish and desperation.   
  
He looks over to his mate to find his face pinched, teeth gritted hard enough to make the muscles in his jaw pop, and there’s moisture sparkling at the corners of his eyes.  Jensen is in  _pain_  and Jared can’t take it.  
  
He lays a hand on Jensen’s chest, trying to calm him, trying his hardest to push back how much he loves Jensen through their bond, trying to let him know that he’s safe, he’s home, and there’s nothing Jared wouldn’t do to protect him.  It seems to do the trick, as moments later, Jensen takes in a shuddering breath and opens flashing green eyes that immediately find Jared’s.  
  
“Hey,” Jared says softly.  
  
“Hey,” Jensen responds, voice deep and raspy.  “What happened?”  
  
“You… are you crying?” Jared asks as a drop makes its way down Jensen’s face.  
  
Jensen brings a hand up and swipes at the tear track then looks at the wetness on his fingers.  
  
“I guess I am,” Jensen says, seemingly just as perplexed by the whole thing as Jared.  
  
“Are you okay?”   
  
“Yeah,” Jensen nods, letting out a deep breath, nice and even this time.   
  
Jensen doesn’t say anything else and Jared lets the silence drag on, contemplating what could have been so bad that it had Jensen, his strong, beautiful alpha, crying in his sleep and feeling so wrung out and sad.  
  
“Do you want to talk about it?” Jared asks hesitantly.  He knows they’re mates and that they’ve shared so much with each other, but some parts of Jensen still seem closed off, like Jensen himself doesn’t even go there or think about certain things, like it’s the only thing keeping him standing sometimes, and Jared wants to be that.  He wants to be Jensen’s anchor, his port in the storm, his safe place to hide, to shelter, to weather whatever comes their way.  But they have to communicate.  
  
Just when Jared’s given up on waiting for a reply, he hears Jensen’s gravelly, deep voice say “I, uh, sometimes have dreams about my brother.”  
  
Jared remains quiet as he listens and waits for Jensen to gather his thoughts, sensing that what Jensen’s about to say is hard for him and that every bit of patience from Jared will be much appreciated.   
  
“They’re not really dreams, not good ones at least, but I think  _nightmare_  is a little too strong,” Jensen attempts to explain.  “Sometimes, I can see him, but he can’t see me.  It’s like I’m just a ghost or an observer in his world, a world where he’s happy and healthy and alive, with a mate and children and everything he could ever want, but no matter how hard I try, I can never speak to him or touch him.”  
  
Jensen pauses again, swiping a hand over his face and blowing out a breath.   
  
“Sometimes, more often than not, he’s with me, and we can talk and just be, but we both know he’s going to die,” Jensen says and Jared wants to reach out for him, wants to take his hurt away, wants to protect Jensen from everything he can.  He hates that he can’t.  That this is something he can’t shield his alpha from, not matter how hard he tries.  “Those are the worst, because Josh is always at peace with his fate, with knowing that he’s going to die, and he tries to tell me goodbye, that he loves me and he’s proud of me, but I never can seem to accept it.  I’m always fighting and struggling to find a way to save him, to stop it from happening.  Sometimes I wake up before anything else happens, and sometimes he dies again right in front of me before I can claw my way back to consciousness.”  
  
“And tonight?” Jared asks, putting a trembling hand over Jensen’s, his alpha gripping it back hard.  Jared can feel his heart breaking, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces for his mate.  
  
“Tonight was one of the worst,” Jensen admits, turning to Jared.  “They wreck me, and it must have spilled over to you while we were asleep.  I haven’t had one in a while.  I think this whole ordeal with San Antonio and my father’s council betraying us has opened some wounds I thought had healed.  I’m sorry.  I never wanted this to be your burden too.”  
  
“Jen, that’s what being mates is,” Jared says as kindly as he can, but he needs Jensen to understand this.  “You carry some of mine, and I carry some of yours.  You don’t have to do this alone anymore.”  
  
“I don’t honestly know what I’d do without you in my life,” Jensen says, reaching over and stroking Jared’s hair back gently.  “I love you, and it scares me sometimes too, but I think any alternative is unbearable.”  
  
“I love you too,” Jared replies and feels the intensity and the truth of Jensen’s words in his bones.

* * *

Two days later they hold the trial for Nemec and Pileggi, and Jared’s stomach still hasn’t settled.  Maybe it’s nerves, maybe it’s stress, maybe it’s illness.  He doesn’t really know.  He’s been able to keep little down and what he manages is the most bland crap he can find.  He knows Jensen’s noticed, that he’s concerned, but he also knows that this trial--sentencing, really--is weighing heavily upon his mate.  So Jared’s been downplaying the nausea as much as he can so that Jensen can focus on the traitors, and hopefully Jared’ll get over this thing in the mean time.  
  
They’re gathered in the Council Chambers, the Council and a small portion of the Pack in attendance, and Sebastian is at the podium, Jensen’s seated in the Alpha’s Chair behind him with Jared seated to Jensen’s right, and the Council, or what’s left of them at least, is seated to his left on their dais.  
  
Pileggi and Nemec stand in chains of silver, collared, and with three guards to each of them.  They look resigned, and Jared wonders if they’ve come to terms with their fate over the last few days or if they’ve just gone numb with shock.  
  
“This trial is beginning.  Please come to order,” the sergeant at arms announces.  
  
The room descends into heavy silence after that and all eyes turn to Sebastian.  
  
“Alpha,” Sebastian begins.  “Does the Council have your permission to begin this trial and deliver your justice?”  
  
“You may,” Jensen says with authority.  
  
“Mitch Pileggi and Corin Nemec, you stand accused and caught in the act of high treason, of conspiracy against your Alpha, and you are being held responsible for the abduction of your Beta and attempting to instigate war between Dallas and San Antonio Packs,” Sebastian states.  “Do you have anything to say for yourselves?”  
  
Pileggi and Nemec both shake their heads.  
  
“Council, how do you find these two?” Sebastian asks.  
  
“We unanimously agree and find these two wolves guilty,” Chancellor Minor announces from her seat, detached but for the burning contempt she has in her dark eyes when she looks at the traitors.  
  
“Alpha, do you approve?” Sebastian turns to Jensen.  
  
“So be it,” Jensen nods.  
  
“Very well,” Sebastian, turning back to the traitors.  “Gentlemen, it is with no small amount of pleasure that I sentence you to be branded Omegas.  You will have one hour to run as fast as you can.  If you can make it past the state border, you shall have your freedom, so long as you never return to Texas.  And to any wolf who brings back the head of a traitor: you will have the Alpha and Beta’s favor and you will be amply and richly rewarded.”  
  
Sebastian waves two wolves dressed in black over then, and the guards take Nemec and Pileggi in hand and shove them both to their knees.  Jared watches in detached distaste as the two wolves in black unwrap silver brands and advance on the traitors.  
  
Jared knows that a brand from heated silver will never truly heal, and that if Pileggi and Nemec manage to make it to the border even though the pain of the mark, then it will continue to plague them until their dying days.  The traitors don’t flinch when their shirts are raised, but Jared can smell their fear.  
  
A spit is brought forth and the brands are shoved into it.  As soon as the metal is heated, the brands are removed and the wolves in black line them up, prepared to deliver the marks on Jensen’s command.  Jared knows this is an old practice, that branding traitors is one barbaric punishment that no Pack and no Alpha has abandoned, and he knows that it’s not something Jensen is proud of, but they both agree that after everything these wolves have put them through, they want nothing less than their heads.  And if they do manage to escape with their lives, then he and Jensen don’t want them to be able to continue living without the constant reminder of their crimes or to be able to hide it from anyone they meet.  
  
When the brand is placed on Pileggi’s chest, he bears it with a fierce grimace.  But when Nemec is branded, he cries out in pain and struggles in the hold of his guards.  Jared is almost ashamed at the satisfaction he gets from the miserable sounds coming from Nemec, but as much as he’s glad the man is suffering, he wishes he’d made Pellegrino suffer more than just how long it took for Jared to take him down.  _His_ death was too quick, too clean.  
  
It’s over soon, and both traitors are left with angry red marks on their chests, their Omega brands standing out against their pale skin, pink spreading out around the lines of the Omega mark.  Jared’s chest aches at the sight and he wants to press a hand there to reassure himself that it’s not him with the brand, but he remains still, wanting to present a united and indifferent front with Jensen to the Council and the Pack.   
  
He cuts a look to Jensen from the corner of his eye and notes the rigid line of his back.  It doesn’t take their bond for Jared to know that this unsettles Jensen just as much as it unsettles Jared, that they both know that they should be more evolved than this by now, but they’re committed.  It will paint Jensen as a ruthless, merciless Alpha, but if that’s what it takes to keep them safe, then Jared knows that Jensen is more than willing to condemn these wolves to this cruel fate.  Jared knows that Jensen would do anything he had to in order to keep his mate safe.  
  
And Jared would do the same.  
  
“You will now be taken to the city limits and released,” Sebastian announces.  “Best of luck.”  
  
Jensen stands then and motions for Jared to stand with him.  The Council stands a second later, as well as the Pack members in attendance, all of them looking to Jensen.  
  
“It does not please me to order you to this fate,” Jensen begins, addressing the branded Omegas.  “But an example must be made.  Let it be known that there are no words that can express the extreme prejudice that will be used in the termination of any and all threats to my mate and myself.”  
  
Jensen nods to Sebastian then, and Sebastian strikes the gavel and gives the order, “let the hunt begin.”

  
* * *

  
It’s quiet for a few days after the trial and Jared’s grateful.  He’s still feeling sick and was woken up this morning by the need to pay homage to the porcelain god again.  He’s getting really tired of this crap and it’s draining him of most of his energy.   
  
He’s been staying home from work, has been since San Antonio really, but Jensen talked things over with Jared’s boss and his position is still his when he’s fit to return if he wants it.  _Anything_  for the Alpha and Beta of the Pack.  Jared rolls his eyes at the thought of his pompous  _alpha_  manager groveling before his mate.   
  
And it’s kind of weird, knowing that his status as Pack Beta has vaulted him above his supervisor in the hierarchy of werewolf society.  Jared’s aware that Jensen doesn’t really approve of someone being above Jared even if it’s just a work relationship, but Jared doesn’t really mind.  He actually enjoys the structure and the routine of going to work and getting things done, even if he’s not at the top of the food chain.  But that doesn’t stop Jensen from trying to get him to come work for his company.  Jared knows Jensen’ll throw some fancy title at him, like COO or VP of something or another, and he’ll put Jared up in a nice corner office complete with an assistant, but it’s not what he wants.  
  
What he wants right now is to be able to wake up and eat without feeling nauseous.  But so far it seems like too tall an order.   
  
When Jensen comes home later he has a dark look on his face that Jared can’t really read, and it makes him a bit anxious to know what’s put his mate in such a mood.   
  
“Hey,” Jared greets from the counter where he’s eating some chicken and rice as he watches Jensen go to the refrigerator for a beer.  
  
“Hey,” Jensen returns, popping the cap off his bottle and taking a long pull.  “You feeling any better?”  
  
“Yeah, a little,” Jared fibs.  There’s no need to worry Jensen any more than he does on his own already.  “How about you?  How was your day?”  
  
“Long,” Jensen says, looking down at his bottle and picking at the label.  “A wolf came to the Council today.”  
  
“Oh?” Jared asks at Jensen’s ominous tone.  
  
“He was carrying Mitch Pileggi’s head,” Jensen says in a voice that tells Jared everything he needs to know.   
  
It’s clear that Jensen is still torn about his decision to carry out the death sentence on Pileggi and Nemec.  Jared knows that Jensen’s still trying to reconcile being a radically different Pack Alpha than the rest with his inherent nature to be brutal, to lead with an iron fist and snarl and snap at anyone who doesn’t toe the line.  It’s not entirely his fault, Jared understands.  It’s how Pack Alphas are wired, it’s in their DNA, and it’s something Jensen has to fight every day in order to lead the way he wants to lead.   
  
“What happened?” Jared asks, going to his mate and trying to soothe the turmoil he feels from him.  
  
“He came in with Mitch’s head in a canvas bag,” Jensen says as Jared steps in close, running his hands over Jensen everywhere he can.  “He showed it to me and Sebastian and told us that he’d tracked him and ran him down near the Louisiana border.”  
  
“What did he ask for?” Jared asks.  “As his reward?”  
  
“He didn’t want one,” Jensen shakes his head as he tells Jared in a soft, almost sad voice.  “He told us that knowing he’d done his part to protect the Pack and us from Mitch was reward enough.”  
  
“Hey,” Jared gets Jensen’s attention on him, making sure those green eyes are watching his.  “I know this is hard,” he starts.  “I know this isn’t how you wanted things to be, and I know that this isn’t the Alpha you wanted to be.  But your Pack looks up to you, they respect you, and they would have been shocked and upset if you’d have let them live after what they did.  I learned from my father that there is no crime greater than the one you commit against your own Alpha, and I know that is not a concept unique to San Antonio Pack.”  
  
“Still doesn’t make it right,” Jensen says.  “It still doesn’t make me feel better.”  
  
“You’re not supposed to feel better,” Jared says as kindly as he can.  “You ordered two men to their deaths, however eventual.  I know it was a difficult decision for you and that if you hadn’t had me to consider, you wouldn’t have made that call.  I know I’m the real reason those men are dead, and I’m not happy about it either, but I know I can sleep easier knowing they aren’t going to be able to hurt us anymore, and that the memory of what happened to them will be a great deterrent to keep others from doing the same.”  
  
“I don’t want any more blood on my hands,” Jensen says tightly and Jared leans into him, trying to give him what comfort he’ll take.  “I don’t want to be a killer.  I left that part of me in South America.  I don’t want to bring it home to you.”  
  
“You’re not a killer,” Jared says firmly.  “You’re an Alpha, and you’re a very good one.  The best, even.  And when you feel yourself going to that dark place, just remember everything you’ve done, if not for your Pack then for me.  And remember that I love you, and I love every part of you, even the parts you don’t like.  And I accept you and I forgive you for what you’ve had to do.  Always.”  
  
Jared knows he’s said exactly what he needed to in order to get through to his mate when he feels his chest lighten and sees the faint flicker of a smile just for Jared on Jensen’s handsome face.

* * *

Jared wakes up abruptly the next morning and gets all of a three second warning before he feels like he’s going to be sick.  It seems like it takes an eternity before he makes it into the bathroom and empties what little he had in his stomach before collapsing on the floor and leaning against the toilet.  The sheer amount of energy it takes to throw up first thing in the morning makes him shaky and weak and he really can’t be bothered to move just yet as the toilet feels so nice and cold against his flushed skin.  
  
As a damp cloth presses against his neck and face, Jared realizes Jensen’s there.  He must have been pretty loud if Jensen heard him from the kitchen and came to his rescue.  He’d feel embarrassed about all of this too, if it wasn’t for the fact that it is currently taking all of his energy to just lay there.  Jensen carefully cleans him up and flushes the toilet, hands gentle and loving as he takes care of his mate.   
  
“Thanks,” Jared says.  His mouth tastes like road kill and all he wants to do is swallow some Listerine and then pass out in bed again.  
  
“Are you alright?” Jensen asks, worry and concern written all over his handsome face.  
  
“I think so now,” Jared responds, letting Jensen help him stand up and rinse his face and mouth.  
  
“Back to bed, Jay,” Jensen orders when he’s done and Jared doesn’t even bother protesting.  It’s what he wants anyway.   
  
Jensen gets him all tucked in and arranges the pillows to keep him comfortable before bringing him a glass of water and making him drink.   
  
“You want me to stay home from work?” he offers, sitting next to Jared as he places the glass of water on the nightstand and pushes Jared’s sweaty hair away from his face.  
  
“Nah,” Jared replies.  “I’ll be fine.”  
  
“You sure?” Jensen asks dubiously.  
  
“Yeah, I’m just going to sleep for a little while longer,” Jared answers.  “Go to work, Jen.  I’ll still be alive when you get back.”  
  
“Promise?”  
  
“I promise,” Jared gives him a faint smile.  
  
“All right,” Jensen concedes.  “I’ll see you when I get home” he says, pressing a kiss to Jared’s forehead and heading for the door.  “Call me if you need anything.”

  
* * *

  
Jared wakes up again around noon.  He feels much better than he did in the morning, his stomach seeming to have settled enough for him to get some cereal down for lunch--everything but Cap’n Crunch repulsed him.  It’s officially day seven as far as running to the bathroom every few hours is concerned, and he kind of hopes Jensen’s not keeping track.  And Jared would be worried about all of this… sickness by now, but he’s got a pretty good idea of what’s going on.  At least he thinks he does.   
  
He showers and brushes his teeth without incident and then dresses and grabs the keys to his car.  It’s a bit of a drive, but he finally gets to a Walgreen’s in an entirely human part of the city.  He gets a few things as he peruses the aisles—some candy, Sprite, some crackers—and then picks up the stuff he really came for and checks out, blushing and refusing to meet the bored clerk’s eyes.  
  
He throws the bag in the passenger seat and all but peels out of the parking lot.  He’s nervous the whole way home, the bag next to him almost taunting him with how innocuous it appears to be, but for the contents within.  It takes him less time to get home than it did to get to the store and he parks in the garage, sitting in the car while he works up the courage to go inside.   
  
When he finally makes it into the house, it takes him all afternoon to even dare to go into the bathroom with his purchase, the mere presence of the little kit making the possibility of his theory being true all the more real.  But he has to know, because otherwise, he needs to see a doctor.  And this has gone on long enough as it is.  
  
It isn’t hard; he just follows the instructions and then waits, nervous and edgy.  He isn’t even sure if it’ll work on guys or even werewolves, but he goes through with it anyway, setting the stick on the counter and watching with morbid fascination as the little white window changes colors dramatically.   
  
As soon as he sees the results, his stomach decides to reject lunch.  Violently.  
  
And that’s how Jensen finds him.  
  
Of course he’d be home from work early, and of course he’d have to walk in the second Jared finds himself kneeling and gripping the toilet again.  
  
“I’m calling Dr. Rhodes if you don’t keep your dinner down,” Jensen warns from the doorway.  “This has been going on for over a week.  You’re really sick.”  
  
It doesn’t even surprise him that Jensen’s kept count.  And he’s not wrong.  Jared’s been miserable all week.  He’s been tired and sick to his stomach and spent more face time with the toilet than he can ever recall.  But this slow, rolling nausea is a bitch to deal with.  
  
“I’ll be fine,” Jared insists, standing on shaky legs when he feels like he can trust his stomach again.  
  
“Bullshit,” Jensen calls him out as he rinses his face with cold water.  “I called Misha.  You’ve never been sick that he can remember.  Something is wrong, and I think we should call Dr. Rhodes.”  
  
“Fine,” Jared huffs.  “But I already know what she’s going to say.”  
  
“No, you don’t,” Jensen argues, concern coming off of him in waves.  “Let me take care of you, baby.  Let me call her.”  
  
“Call her if it’ll make you feel better,” Jared concedes.  “But she can’t really help me,” he says, glancing pointedly to the counter.  
  
He watches Jensen’s gaze shift to the little stick next to the sink and tries his best not to say anything as he observes his mate’s reaction.  The first thing to cross Jensen’s face is shock, his eyes wide with disbelief, but then he’s smiling, a little fear in those big green eyes but mostly happiness.  
  
“Oh my god, Jared,” Jensen gasps, hands going out to touch Jared gently, skimming over his arms and to his stomach.  “ _That’s_  why you’ve been puking your guts up?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared answers, feeling warmth spread at how pleased his Alpha is.  “After a week of running to the bathroom every morning, I started to get suspicious, so I went to the pharmacy and picked a test up this afternoon.  I wasn’t even sure if it’d work on me, but… here we are,” he smiles nervously.  
  
“Wow,” Jensen says.  “You’re just… wow,” he whispers and Jared fills with pride that he’s made his mate this speechless.  
  
“We’ll still need to see Dr. Rhodes to confirm it and to figure out where to go from here, but,” Jared pauses, stepping closer to Jensen and snuggling into him.  “There’s no need to worry right now.  I’m alright.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen agrees, wrapping his arms around Jared and holding him gently.   
  
“How’re you feeling, Dad?” Jared asks, not missing the spike of affection and the smile it brings from Jensen.  
  
“I’m still processing,” Jensen admits.  “But I’m over the freaking moon.”  
  
That night, their lovemaking is nothing short of slow and tender, Jensen’s focus solely on Jared and so intense he doesn’t think he can handle it.  But with every touch that takes Jared apart, Jensen’s right there putting him back together again.  As they lay in the afterglow, Jared can’t help but smile, Jensen smiling back at him.  This is what he’s wanted since he found out he could carry, it’s what Jensen wants, and the happiness that Jensen is projecting through their bond shines with the light of the sun and makes Jared so ridiculously pleased to have been able to give this to his mate.

  
* * *

  
Jensen is rather insistent over the next few days(a fucking pest, really) and Jared finally concedes to making an appointment to see Dr. Rhodes.  He knows it’s a good idea, that this is his first pup and he should definitely have some guidance because he has no idea what he’s doing.  He should have known that Jensen would be so proactive about this whole thing that he’s secured them an appointment within hours of calling the practice.  Being Alpha probably didn’t hurt either.  
  
The smell of the building is clinical, chemical, and Jared wrinkles his nose at it.  Jensen’s hand is at his back a second later and concern flows to Jared through their bond.  He knows he’s making a face, but he can’t help it.  The smell is almost an assault.  
  
And then it changes subtly.  As they make their way through to reception, Jared begins to scent the other wolves in the waiting area.  Most are in varying stages of pregnancy, and a few have their mates with them.  The scent is shades of sweet, a little soft, and they smell vibrant, full of life.  
  
When they get to the desk, the beta behind the counter almost falls out of her chair in her haste to divert her gaze, and that’s when Jared notices that none of the other wolves in the waiting room are looking their direction, and Jared would put good money on none of them scenting the Alpha pair either.  Jared knows he should be used to this, having had his upbringing, but he’s never experienced such deference on his own behalf before.  Being Gerald’s son commanded lots of respect, but nothing to this degree.  
  
“Dr. Rhodes, please,” Jensen’s deep voice pulls Jared’s attention back to the receptionist.  
  
“Right away, Alpha,” the beta stutters out and all but leaps from her chair to carry out Jensen’s request.  
  
Jensen’s jaw tightens but he doesn’t say a word.  He doesn’t have to.  Hell, Jared doesn’t even need their bond to know that Jensen can hardly stand all of the special treatment the Pack gives him.  Jared knows Jensen would rather be treated normally, as any other wolf, but the Pack is hardwired to submit to him and his authority, and all he can do is grin and bear it.  
  
“Alpha, Beta,” another wolf calls breathlessly from a doorway that Jared presumes leads to examination rooms.  “If you would please follow me.”  
  
Jensen nods and allows Jared to take the lead, following him closely as they join the nurse and are taken back to a room with a couple of chairs and an exam bed.  The nurse places a sign on the door and grabs a clipboard as she motions for Jensen to take a seat.  
  
“I need to borrow him for a moment,” she says to the Alpha.  “I need to take his vitals, if I have your permission.”  
  
“You do,” Jared says quickly before the muscle in Jensen’s jaw can tighten any further.  Jared can practically  _feel_  how hard Jensen’s teeth are clenched.  “What do you need me to do?”  
  
She gives him a brief, warm smile, and leads him through the back of the office suite, taking his weight and height and drawing a little blood before showing him back into the room where his mate waits impatiently, pacing the floor until Jared’s return.  
  
The nurse departs quickly, promising the swift arrival of Dr. Rhodes and leaving them their privacy.  
  
“Nervous?” Jared asks, perching himself on the exam bed as soon as the door is closed.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen answers him straight, dragging his chair up to the bed and leaning forward, taking Jared’s hands in his own and laying his head in Jared’s lap.  “You?”  
  
“I’m all right,” Jared smiles fondly, pulling one hand free and stroking it through Jensen’s hair.  “What’s on your mind?”  
  
“Everything,” Jensen says quietly.  “I mean, I don’t know, I just… It just happened so fast.  I know we didn’t plan for this, and I know we said we’d just let things be and see what happened, but the more I think about it, the more I really want this.  With you.”  
  
“That’s why we’re here,” Jared says, and he understands the whole fast part.  It usually takes mated pairs several heats before conceiving.  For them to get it done right out of the gate and on Jared’s very first heat, it’s rare.  “But no matter what, I love you, and I want this with you too.”  
  
Jensen presses a soft kiss to the palm of Jared’s hand and then there’s a quiet knock at the door.  They separate slowly, Jared loath to let go of Jensen and Jensen seeming to have the same issue, and Dr. Rhodes comes in with a bright smile on her face.  
  
“Alpha, Beta,” she greets them, pulling up a rolling stool and taking a seat in front of them.  “How are we this afternoon?”  
  
“Good,” Jared gives her a warm smile in return.  
  
“So I took a look at your chart and your blood work,” Dr. Rhodes says.  “First of all, congratulations to both of you.  I can definitely confirm that you’re carrying.”  
  
The relief and pure joy that slams Jared through the bond reflects his own, and he knows that everything is going to be all right.  Jensen grasps his hand and gives him a small smile as he glances at Jared out of the corner of his eye.  
  
“Now, you’re a bit underweight from where a guy your size should be, but weight loss in the first few weeks isn’t completely unusual,” Dr. Rhodes says.  “Have you been sick at all?”  
  
“Off and on for a while,” Jared nods.  
  
“Unfortunately, it does happen,” she says sympathetically.  “As your body adjusts it should even out, but it has been known to last in some cases.”  
  
“Is there anything we can do?” Jensen asks.  
  
“There are a lot of home remedies,” Dr. Rhodes answers.  “I’d give those a shot before we try anything pharmaceutical.  And try to eat some foods with higher caloric value.  You don’t have to eat more than what is normal for you, even though you definitely can if you feel up to it, but make sure that anything you do eat will pack more punch in case you can’t keep it all down.”  
  
“All right,” Jared agrees, catching Jensen nodding along out of the corner of his eye.  
  
“What should we be expecting?  I mean, is there anything we should watch out for?  Anything he shouldn’t do or eat?” Jensen asks.   
  
“For now, you should be fine and are fit to continue normal activities,” Dr. Rhodes states.  “You’re good to exercise, work, mate, whatever you want so long as you don’t overexert yourself.  Now, as the pregnancy progresses, we’ll have to watch things like diet and exercise and blood pressure.  But that’s much later.  Excepting the nausea, the first trimester is easy.”  
  
“That’s it?” Jared asks.  
  
“You’re very healthy, Beta,” she smiles.  “But this is your first pup.  So how about you come back in two weeks and we’ll see where we stand.”  
  
“Sounds good,” Jensen agrees and stands.  “Thank you again, Doctor,” he says, taking her hand.  “We appreciate your service.”  
  
“It is always a pleasure to serve you both, Alpha,” Dr. Rhodes says with a bow of her head.

* * *

  
Jared wakes early again, rushing into the bathroom to evacuate his stomach for yet another morning.  He wonders briefly how long this is going to last as he stands on shaky legs and cleans up, brushing his teeth harder than he should and splashing some cool water on his face.  
  
As he takes in the pale skin and dark circles under his eyes, he notices that he’s dropped some more weight.  Nothing huge.  Just a few pounds, but enough to get his attention, and he thinks this morning sickness business has gone on long enough and can stop any time it pleases.  
  
“Jared?” Jensen calls from their bed, voice rough and sleepy.  
  
“Coming,” Jared replies, turning off the bathroom light and stumbling back into bed with his mate.  
  
“You okay?” Jensen asks, wrapping himself around Jared.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared answers, snuggling into the Alpha, letting the heat of his body and his steady breathing lull him back to sleep.   
  
“You want to sleep in today?” Jensen mumbles and Jared smiles as his mate starts to doze again.  He’s so lazy on his days off.  
  
“Sure, sounds good,” Jared agrees.  “Wake me up later.”  
  
“’kay,” Jensen sighs and they both fall back to sleep.  
  
When Jared wakes up next, it’s to the warm, wet suction of Jensen’s mouth on his cock.  He hums contentedly and it turns into a moan as Jensen slides a finger into him.  Jared lets his legs fall further open, giving the Alpha all the room he needs as he works Jared up with his mouth and hands.  
  
“Come here,” Jared begs after a few minutes, pulling at Jensen until he complies, kissing his way up Jared’s body until their lips meet.   
  
Jared loves kissing Jensen.  He could do it all day, and he’s missed it with how he’s had to constantly fend off his mate’s advances, not able to fully trust his stomach and afraid of what could happen.  
  
But Jensen feels so good against him, wrapped between his thighs, his dick a hot, hard line on Jared’s hip as he rubs against him.  And Jared doesn’t even care about how Jensen managed to get them both naked before he woke Jared up with a blow job, because the taste of Jensen’s mouth is the only thing he can concentrate on.  Well, that and getting Jensen in him.  
  
“Want you,” Jensen whispers, flexing against Jared, the friction from his skin on Jared’s cock making him hiss in pleasure.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared agrees.  He’s all of five seconds away from being mindless with need for the Alpha anyway.  
  
“You okay for it?” Jensen asks, touch gentling.  
  
“Yeah, I’m good,” Jared insists.  “Please, Jensen.  I miss fucking you.  I need you.”  
  
“Need you too, baby,” Jensen says, kissing him again as he reaches down.  
  
Jared opens up for him, fighting back what he can only suspect would be an embarrassing whimper as he feels the head of Jensen’s cock brush across him.  He needs this like breathing and he knows Jensen knows it, but it’s been a while and he knows that with the way Jensen’s been moving, he’s gearing Jared up for a slow burn.  It’s obvious that Jensen intends on taking his time with Jared today.  And if it wasn’t evident in his reverent touch, it certainly is when he pushes into Jared slowly, both of them groaning with the spine-tingling pleasure of being one again.  
  
As Jensen begins to move, he seals their mouths together again, tongue moving over Jared’s in time with his thrusts.  Jared wraps his arms around Jensen, hands gripping his back and enjoying the feeling of the Alpha’s muscles flexing and working under his fingertips as he rocks into Jared steadily.  And while Jared really, _really_  likes this, it’s not going to be enough to make him come, so he squeezes down on Jensen and tries to get him to go faster.  
  
“We’ll get to that,” Jensen says against Jared’s lips.  “Just wanna make love to you right now,” he states, dropping his mouth to Jared’s neck.  
  
Jared bucks up against him as the Alpha closes his mouth over his mating mark and sucks gently, alternating teeth and tongue over the faint scar.  Jared can’t stop the strangled gasp of Jensen’s name, the caresses on his mark going straight down to his cock.  It’s almost more pleasurable to have Jensen touch him on the mark than anywhere else, but the deep craving he has for his Alpha is only completely satisfied when his mate is deep inside him.  
  
Jared tightens his legs around Jensen then and throws his weight into him, flipping them over.  Jensen looks momentarily surprised as Jared starts to move, riding him.  Jensen reaches for him, lacing the fingers of one hand through his as he wraps his other hand around Jared’s dick.  Jared moans at the touch and starts moving faster, trying different angles in an attempt to find that perfect spot inside.  
  
“You going to come for me, Jay?” Jensen asks, thrusting up to meet Jared.  
  
Jared can’t speak.  Jensen can  _always_  find his prostate, no matter what, and every stroke over it takes away more and more of Jared’s ability to function.  Jensen pumps into him a handful more times, hand working Jared’s dick quick and rough and Jared comes, shuddering over Jensen and shooting creamy white stripes over Jensen’s stomach.  
  
“Love you, Jared,” Jensen says, reaching up and pushing Jared’s hair out of his face as he sucks in deep breaths above his alpha.  “My beautiful mate.”  
  
“Love you,” Jared manages to say back, boneless and happy.  
  
“Lay down for me?” Jensen asks.  
  
“M’kay,” Jared agrees, rolling off of Jensen and onto his back again.  
  
Jensen pushes back into him easily, covering Jared with his body, and pulls his knees up, pressing them close to Jared’s chest as he bends down low and begins moving again.  Even though he’s already come, Jared feels his cock start to fill again as the angle makes Jensen feel impossibly big.  And there’s no way he can keep quiet with the way Jensen’s moving inside of him, his mate stroking over his prostate with every powerful thrust of his hips.  
  
“Jensen, oh my god,” he gasps, fisting the sheets as his back goes rigid, head tossed back in ecstasy.  
  
“That’s it, Jared,” Jensen pants.  “You gonna come again?” he asks, getting his hand back on Jared’s cock and stroking him to full hardness.  
  
Jared’s so far gone, he doesn’t even realize Jensen’s knotted him until he releases his grip on Jared’s hip and drops to his hand beside Jared’s head, leaning into Jared’s body, his hips changing from deep and long slides to quick, small grinds as the knot grows larger, tying them together.  And that’s when Jared comes again, orgasm slamming into him hard, harder than the first, his dick twitching in Jensen’s hold as he works him through it.  
  
Seconds later, Jensen’s coming with Jared’s name on his lips, Jared holding him tight as his mate’s pleasure and satisfaction hit him hard enough to almost trigger a third orgasm, which he suspects might kill him at this point.  As the Alpha begins to relax into him, Jared strokes his fingers along Jensen’s heated and sweaty skin, content to hold him now that they’ve fulfilled the urge to mate.  
  
“So,” Jared begins quietly, closing his eyes and concentrating on the feeling of Jensen’s heartbeat against his chest.  “That was different.”  
  
“Just a little bit,” Jensen agrees.  
  
“I liked it,” Jared smiles, opening his eyes to find his mate’s beautiful green eyes gazing back.  
  
“I’m certainly not complaining,” Jensen smiles back, groaning softly when Jared shifts against him.  
  
“You still…?” he asks.  He can feel Jensen still hard in him and he knows his mate’s dick is still very sensitive as he continues to come deep inside of Jared.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen answers, a little breathless.  “I’ve got to ask.  Did I imagine you coming twice?”  
  
“Nope,” Jared blushes a little bit.  “It was a near miss for three times.”  
  
“Jesus,” Jensen says.  “Think it’s…” he trails off, glancing toward Jared’s stomach.  
  
“Probably,” Jared shrugs.  It’s his best guess as well.  
  
“Are you still alright?” Jensen asks.  “Your stomach’s okay?”  
  
“I’m not going to throw up on you if that’s what you’re concerned about,” Jared laughs.  “It’s been getting better.”  
  
“Liar,” Jensen counters quickly.  
  
“Okay.  Maybe not better,” Jared concedes.  “But I’m learning to live with it.  At least it’s not worse.”  
  
“I suppose,” Jensen says like he doesn’t quite believe Jared.  “How long do you think it’ll last?” Jensen asks and Jared can feel his sympathy through their bond.  Jensen doesn’t like it any more than Jared does.  
  
“Well, remember Dr. Rhoades said that it could be over soon, or that it could last the entire time,” Jared answers with a shrug.  “But I’ve got no idea.”  
  
“Baby, I’m so sorry.”  
  
“It’s okay,” Jared says.  “I can handle it.”  
  
“Yeah, but I wish you didn’t have to,” Jensen frowns.  
  
“I know,” Jared gives him a reassuring smile as he ruffles a hand through his mate’s damp hair.  “You’re so good to me.”  
  
“Except where I knocked you up and it makes you sick every morning, possibly for most of a year,” Jensen states.  
  
“Which I  _asked_  for,” Jared reminds him.  “It’s not like you held me down and forced me, Jensen.  You let me have the choice and I _chose_  to carry your pups.  I  _chose_  to let you breed me, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.  Hell, I even had to beg you and con you for it in San Antonio.”  
  
“I apologized for that,” Jensen defends.  
  
“Yes, you did,” Jared grins.  Jensen did apologize.  With his cock.  All night long.  “But this isn’t your fault.  It’s not a bad thing, even if I have to soldier through nine months of hugging the toilet before breakfast.  I want this, I want this with you, and I’m not going to change my mind.”  
  
“If you’re sure,” Jensen says, sounding like he’s ready to concede defeat.  
  
“I am,” Jared says confidently, watching Jensen’s face as he gives in.  
  
“Feel free to curse and blame me later if you decide you feel differently about it,” Jensen offers.  
  
“If it’ll make you feel better,” Jared compromises.  
  
“It will,” Jensen says, shifting a little, his knot having gone down enough to separate.  
  
Jared hisses and groans as Jensen pulls out of him, everything still so sensitive, and Jensen falls to Jared’s side, grabbing the corner of the sheet and wiping Jared’s come off of both of them.  Jared knows where this weekend is heading already and he makes a mental note to wash the bedding.  Probably twice, just to be thorough.  Because Jensen will likely be  _very_  thorough with Jared.  
  
“Are we spending all day in bed?” Jared asks, snuggling into his Alpha as they lounge across each other.  
  
“We don’t have to be anywhere,” Jensen points out.  “So why not?”  
  
And Jared agrees.  
  
“I think we need to make some changes,” Jared announces a few days later.  He’s been thinking a lot about the two of them and their future together lately.  
  
“Okay,” Jensen agrees, though cautiously.  
  
“I need to move out of my apartment and break the lease,” Jared begins, and really, he should have done that months ago, like right after they mated.  “And I should probably resign at work.”  
  
“What?  Why?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Well, I’m already on a leave of absence.  I don’t think it’s fair to make them hold that position indefinitely,” Jared answers.  “And now that we’ve got a pup on the way, who knows how long it’ll take for me to go back.”  
  
“But I thought you liked it,” Jensen says with a puzzled expression.  
  
“I like to work, sure.  But I didn’t particularly care much for that job,” Jared shrugs.  Hard to get torn up over data entry.  “It wasn’t something I was looking to make a career out of or anything.”  
  
“So what do you want to do now?” Jensen asks.  
  
“I don’t know,” Jared replies.  “I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and whatever I do, I think I’d rather do it from home.”  
  
“That sounds reasonable,” Jensen nods.  “I’ve been thinking the same thing myself.”  
  
“You can’t work from home,” Jared states.  
  
“I can too,” Jensen counters.  “And I’m not just wanting to because I’m paranoid, which I still am a little.  But I don’t want to be like my father was, always at work and only home late at night.  I want to be a part of your life and our pup’s life, and if I have to work from home, then so be it.”  
  
“It’s early yet,” Jared points out.  “We’ll figure everything out.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen nods.  “And we can get you out of your lease tomorrow, if you want.  I can take off work and have some guys move your stuff and then we can get you settled in here for real,” he smiles and Jared can feel how pleased and excited the prospect of moving him in completely makes his mate.   
  
“You don’t have to take off work for that,” Jared says.  “We can do it later on one of your days off.”  
  
“It’s my company,” Jensen reminds him.  “I can take off whenever I want.  And this is important.  I’d much rather take care of it sooner rather than wait.”  
  
“All right,” Jared concedes.  “Tomorrow then.”  
  
“That reminds me,” Jensen begins.  “Are you happy here?  I mean, I’m not committed to this house, and I would be more than happy to find another, if that’s something you’re interested in.”  
  
“I hadn’t really thought about that,” Jared says, looking around the room with a different eye.  
  
“I didn’t get this place thinking I’d bring a mate here and make it a home,” Jensen admits.  “It was always temporary, just something to keep me close to work and the Council Hall and out of my parents’ house, but if you like it, then we’ll stay.”  
  
“We don’t have to,” Jared says.  “I’m not crazy about it either.  Maybe we could look around a bit?”  
  
“We can start as soon as you want to,” Jensen offers.   
  
“How about this week?” Jared says.  
  
“Sounds great,” Jensen grins.  “I can’t wait for us to find a place to make our home.”  
  
“You’re my home,” Jared says, moving in closer to his mate.  
  
“And you’re mine,” Jensen returns warmly.  “But we’ll find a place to raise our pups.  Somewhere big, with some land maybe.”  
  
“That’d be nice,” Jared smiles.  “Some big trees too.”  
  
“And a porch,” Jensen adds.  “The kind that wraps around.”  
  
“With a big swing,” Jared agrees.   
  
“Sounds perfect,” Jensen says.

  
* * *

  
“So I’ve got a lead on a new place,” Jensen announces the second he’s in the door the next day.  
  
“Oh?” Jared perks up as Jensen comes into the living room looking excited even after a long day at the office.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen grins.  “Want to check it out?”  
  
“Now?” Jared raises his eyebrows.  
  
“If you’re up for it,” Jensen says.  
  
“Sure,” Jared agrees.  
  
Jared follows Jensen back out of the house and Jensen drives them through Dallas and out to a neighborhood not unlike the one Jensen’s parents live in.  There are large houses on even bigger plots of land, all with high and solid fencing around the backs.  It reminds Jared a little of the mansions he’s seen on TV out in California.   
  
They continue through the neighborhood until Jensen pulls up to a sprawling two-story house that has Jared’s jaw dropping.  It has a large wrap around porch with thick columns and delicate arches and…  
  
“A swing?” Jared looks to Jensen at the sight of the wide swinging bench.  
  
“You asked,” Jensen grins.  “Let’s go inside.”  
  
Jared doesn’t need to be told twice, and he jumps out of the car and is halfway up the steps before Jensen catches up to him.  Jensen produces a key and lets them in.  Jared is impressed by polished hardwood floors and open spaces.  It’s comfortable, inviting, and he can definitely see them raising their family here.  It’s almost as if Jensen pulled it right out of his head and made it a reality.  
  
At that thought, he turns to Jensen and finds his mate staring at him with a mixture of hope and anxiousness.  
  
“Jensen, where--how did you find this?” Jared asks.  
  
“Well…,” Jensen stalls.  
  
“You didn’t, did you?” Jared says.  
  
“Not exactly,” Jensen answers.  “I found the land a while back, though.”  
  
“And you built us a house?” Jared says with no small amount of awe.  
  
“I always liked this spot,” Jensen says.  “And I thought that if I ever found someone worth spending my life with, my mate, I’d build them whatever they wanted.  I never really thought it would happen for me, and then you came along.”  
  
“How long have you been building here?” Jared asks, watching Jensen move around the room.  
  
“Since we met,” Jensen admits.  
  
“ _Since we met_?” Jared repeats, a little stunned.   
  
“I was sure,” Jensen shrugs.  “I had changes made every time I learned a little more about what you liked and wanted.  It was very important for me to get this right, to provide my mate with the home that he wants.”  
  
“Jensen, I don’t know what to say,” Jared confesses.  
  
“Do you like it?” Jensen asks.  
  
“I… I love it,” Jared smiles.  “It’s perfect, and I can’t wait to move in.”  
  
“Then let’s move in,” Jensen says, returning his smile.  
  
“Now?” Jared arches an eyebrow at him.  
  
“Well, not  _now_ ,” Jensen gives a small laugh.  “But maybe we could start tomorrow?”  
  
“You really can’t wait, can you?” Jared shakes his head, grinning.  
  
“I’ve been waiting for months to live here with you,” Jensen says.  “I just want to make you happy.”  
  
“I am,” Jared assures him, stepping into his alpha and feeling content and loved as Jensen slips his arms around him.  “I’m very happy.”

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

As promised, a moving company shows up at Jensen’s house in town bright and early the next morning.  Jared’s still not one hundred percent right after waking up, so he spends some time in the bathroom, hoping he doesn’t see his shoes come up, while Jensen directs the movers around the house.  
  
By lunchtime, everything is packed and on the truck.  They stand in the living room and Jared looks around, feeling a bit sad but also very excited.  This is where Jensen marked him, this is where he claimed him, this is where they conceived their first pup.  There’s lots of good memories in this house, no matter how short of a time Jared had actually been living in it.   
  
But the house Jensen built them, he can hardly wait to start their lives there.  That house is where he and Jensen will have more pups, it’s where their children will grow up, and it’s where he and Jensen will grow old together.  As he thinks about maybe a little girl and maybe a little boy running around the house playing, his hand goes to his stomach, rubbing the practically nonexistent bump absentmindedly.  It’s soothing, touching himself there, and he’s so lost in thought that he’s almost surprised when Jensen’s hand joins his.  
  
“I’m going to miss this place,” Jared says as Jensen takes over rubbing his stomach.  “Just a little.”  
  
“Me too,” Jensen says.  “Want to get some lunch and head to the house?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared agrees.  “That sounds great.”  
  
They end up getting Tex-Mex and Jared eats way too much queso.  It’s a bit uncomfortable but he puts in a valiant effort and manages to eat two tacos, three enchiladas, and two sides of rice before he has to throw in the towel.  As he leans back in his seat, he catches Jensen looking at him, an amused smile on his face as he eats more of his enchilada platter.  
  
“What?” Jared asks, arching an eyebrow at his mate.  
  
“Nothing,” Jensen says.  “It’s just good to see you eating.”  
  
“I’ve been eating,” Jared says.  
  
“You’ve been grazing,” Jensen counters.  “I’ve seen you demolish meals that could feed three or four people before.”  
  
“I guess I haven’t been very trusting of my stomach lately,” Jared sighs.  “I never know what might set it off.”  
  
“Well, I’m glad we picked Tex-Mex, so long as it doesn’t make you sick,” Jensen offers him another smile before finishing off his plate.  
  
They finish up at the restaurant and then head to the new house.  When they get there, Jensen and Jared direct the movers as to where they want specific boxes and furniture, and a few hours later they’re left to their own devices.  Jared knows that Jensen offered up his parents and even inviting Chris and Steve and Misha to help them unpack and set everything up, but Jared declined, wanting to do this just him and Jensen.  Call it an early nesting instinct or whatever.  
  
“I’ll get the living room if you want to start on the bedroom,” Jared offers as they survey the stacks of boxes in the middle of the living room.  
  
“I think I can handle that,” Jensen smiles and gives him a quick kiss.  “You’ll let me know if you need help?  And no heavy lifting, okay?”  
  
“Yes, I’ll call if I need help, and no, I won’t pick up anything over fifteen pounds,” Jared agrees, although he’s thinking about shifting the couch.  
  
“Uh uh,” Jensen says quickly, following Jared’s line of sight.  “Don’t even think about it.”  
  
“Fine!” Jared sighs dramatically, throwing his hands up and rolling his eyes.  God, he’s such a drama queen.  He knows it’s his hormones fucking with him, making him more irritable, but he is not taking this whole delicate pregnant beta thing lying down.  He’s been capable of taking care of himself his entire life and he has no plans to stop now.  
  
“ _Jared_ ,” Jensen says firmly, a hint of Alpha in his voice.  
  
“I won’t move any furniture without your help, okay?” Jared grumbles.  “I promise.”  
  
“I just don’t want anything to happen to either of you,” Jensen softens.  
  
“You know, the baby is only the size of a bean right now,” Jared states.  
  
“All the more reason to be careful,” Jensen responds.  “You know how unstable carrier pregnancies can be.  There is a high rate of spontaneous abortion in the first trimester and most of it is due to malnutrition--”  
  
“Which isn’t a problem with the way you’ve been trying to feed me,” Jared interjects.  
  
“--and physical labor,” Jensen finishes.   
  
“Jensen, I seriously doubt me lifting a fifteen pound box or shifting a sofa two feet is going to cause a miscarriage,” Jared defends but feels all of the fight drain out of him the moment he catches Jensen’s eyes.  There’s a resignation there, and Jared can feel it through their bond.  Jensen doesn’t want to argue with him.  He just wants him to be safe, to not take any risks, and Jared gets that, he really does.  He knows how much Jensen loves him and he knows how excited Jensen is for their pup, how much he wants this baby, and that’s what makes him back down.  More than anything, he wants to give that to Jensen, wants to give his mate, his Alpha, his love, everything he could ever want.  “I’ll be careful, but could you do one thing for me before you go upstairs?”  
  
“Anything,” Jensen agrees, relief flooding Jared through their bond.  Jared’s happy he could make his mate feel better.  
  
“Could you move the sofa over here?” he points to where he really wants the couch and Jensen grins.  
  
“I’d be happy to.”

* * *

  
Jared’s so absorbed into getting the living room unpacked and situated to his liking that he doesn’t even notice Jensen until he clears his throat from the doorway.   
  
“What do you think?” Jared asks as Jensen steps into the living room.  
  
His mate surveys the space, looking over the walls and the furniture with approval.   
  
“It looks great, Jay,” Jensen replies.  
  
Jared grins and Jensen smiles back.  
  
“I got our room done, and the kitchen is set up too,” Jensen says.  “Want to make sure you’re happy with it?”  
  
“Trying to get me in bed already?” Jared raises an eyebrow, but he’s not complaining.  
  
“There’s no  _trying_ ,” Jensen returns with a sly grin.  
  
“Well, if you’re suggesting we break this house in properly, then I see no reason to object,” Jared says, feeling his dick harden at the thought of Jensen bedding him down in their new house.  “Lead the way, Alpha.”  
  
“Mmm,” Jensen makes a sound deep in his throat.  “Do you know what it does to me when you call me that?”  
  
“Why else do you think I use it?” Jared smiles coyly.  
  
“Bed.  Right now,” Jensen orders, pointing to the stairs.  
  
“I thought I was getting the tour,” Jared says, heading for the stairs.  
  
“You’re getting more than that,” Jensen assures him, crowding Jared from behind on the stairs.  “Right now, I’m going to take you to bed and fuck you senseless.”  
  
“I like the sound of that,” Jared agrees as they reach the landing and Jensen steers him toward their new bedroom.  
  
They make it inside, but Jensen pushes Jared into the wall before he can even think about getting to their bed.  Jared grunts with the force of the impact, and then Jensen’s there, sealing their mouths together in a hungry kiss.  
  
Jared clutches at Jensen’s shoulders as the Alpha tears his jeans open.  It’s rough and hot, and Jared can feel himself go wet as Jensen growls into their kiss and then drops to his knees.  Green eyes gaze up at him in the semi-dark of the room as Jensen pulls Jared’s jeans and boxers to his knees, letting his heavy cock spring free.  
  
Jared is helpless and so turned on as Jensen takes him into his mouth, moaning and sucking him down like he can’t get enough.  He spreads himself open as wide as he can, whimpering as the need to be filled hits him like a punch to the gut.  But Jensen gives him the relief he needs, slipping his hand between Jared’s legs and sliding two fingers into his slick hole.  
  
“Fuck, Jen,” Jared groans, carding his fingers through Jensen’s hair as his mate works him open.  “Baby, please.  Want you in me.”  
  
Jensen pulls off with a soft pop and stands, pulling Jared with him as he walks backward to their bed.  The Alpha turns them at the last second and drops Jared to his back on the soft mattress, and then he pulls Jared’s shoes and pants off, taking his boxers and socks as well.  Jared sits up a little and takes off his shirt, and Jensen strips himself quickly, eyes burning bright and focused entirely on Jared.  
  
He enjoys having the undivided attention of his alpha on him, and Jared preens a bit, pleased that he can make this wolf so crazy for him.  Jensen climbs over him, kissing his way up Jared’s stomach and chest and then locking their mouths together as Jared puts his legs around Jensen’s hips, rocking up to meet his alpha and presenting his hole to him.  
  
Jensen takes a deep breath above him and shudders.  And Jared understands.  Jensen’s pheromones are enough to make his spine turn to liquid too.  Jared can sense it the moment Jensen’s alpha wolf takes over.  He pushes Jared harder to the bed and dips to lick and nip at his neck, sharp teeth scraping and teasing his sensitive skin.  And Jared’s beta answers him, tilting his head away, giving Jensen his willing submission, gasping and writhing in delight at the attention the Alpha gives him.  
  
Jared pushes against Jensen and stills as the head of Jensen’s cock brushes against his hole.  He can feel his insides flutter in anticipation, and Jensen ruts into him again, a deep growl rumbling through his chest as his touches become more insistent.  
  
“Alpha,” Jared whispers, needing for Jensen to understand, to take him, to ease his need.  
  
Jensen responds to his title with another pleased growl, nearly a purr, and then he shoves into Jared in one hard thrust, sheathing himself fully inside his mate.  Jared’s back bows tight and he tosses his head back, jaw slack in a silent cry as Jensen fills him completely.  
  
“Is that what you wanted?” Jensen asks as he draws back and then slides back in, starting a slow, hard pace.  
  
“Yes.  God, yes,” Jared moans, fingers digging into the muscles of Jensen’s arms as he pushes up to meet Jensen’s hips.  “Want your knot.”  
  
“It’s coming,” Jensen promises.  “You gonna take it like a good beta?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared hisses, body humming with eagerness for Jensen’s knot.  Even pregnant, he craves being tied to Jensen, to be filled with his seed and marked from the inside.  
  
“Harder, Jensen.  I need it,” Jared babbles, encouraging his mate with everything he can.  
  
Jared mewls and claws at Jensen’s shoulders as Jensen’s knot swells and begins to push against his hole.  He wants it so bad he can taste it, has to have that knot, needs Jensen’s come.  
  
“Come on!” Jared demands in frustration.  
  
Jensen grins ferally and then pushes his knot past Jared’s rim and ties them.  Jared almost cries in relief, and as the knot seats firmly inside of him, pressing right against his sweet spot, he comes hard, painting his stomach in hot stripes as his body clamps down on Jensen’s cock, trying to milk his mate’s orgasm out of him too.   
  
It’s not long, seconds at most, and then Jensen starts to come with a deep groan before he collapses over Jared, burying his face in Jared’s neck as his hips keep grinding into Jared, his knot swollen to its largest as he pumps his seed deep into Jared.  And Jared loves this, holding his mate as he comes down, taking everything Jensen can give him.  
  
“Well,” Jared says with a satisfied grin as Jensen picks his head up to meet his eyes.  “Welcome home, baby.”  
  
“That’s supposed to be  _my_  line,” Jensen says in an exhausted voice, but smiles back anyway.

* * *

  
They’re going in for their second check up today and Jensen is vibrating with so much excitement that Jared would not be shocked to see fireworks shooting out of his ears.  He’s one gigantic grin and Jared just doesn’t have the heart to tell him that this office visit is going to be a dull one.   
  
The waiting room is completely empty this time, and Dr. Rhodes greets them as soon as they get to the desk.  
  
“Where is everyone?” Jared asks as he glances around.  Sure enough, they’re completely alone.  He can’t even sniff out or hear any nurses moving through the clinic.  
  
“They’re on an early lunch,” Dr. Rhodes says.  “I didn’t think the Alpha and Beta’s baby check ups were anyone else’s business.”  
  
“Thank you for your discretion,” Jensen says in a clipped tone.   
  
Jared can tell he doesn’t mean to be short, that he’s actually grateful to be out of the public’s eye, but that he’s a little peeved at the special treatment.  It’s like a broken record with his mate.  All Jared can do is smile politely and smooth over any feathers Jensen may ruffle.  Dr. Rhodes doesn’t seem to be a wolf bothered by Jensen’s attitude, and Jared would be shocked if she took much personally, if he’s being honest.  
  
Dr. Rhodes takes some blood and his vitals and has him pee in a cup before she shows him back to the room she directed Jensen into and joins them again after she’s run all of her tests.  
  
“Everything looks great,” Dr. Rhodes announces as she steps back into the exam room.  “You’ve even gained a couple of pounds since our last visit.  What have you been trying?”  
  
“Everything,” Jared says with a huff of laughter.   
  
“Still sick?” she asks sympathetically.  
  
“Not as much, but it still takes me by surprise,” Jared says.  “Something can be the best thing I’ve ever eaten one day and then the next it has me running for the bathroom.”  
  
“Food aversion is fairly common,” she states.  “Have you tried some ginger to help with the nausea?  If it’s coming and going less frequently, that might help you out some.  There is  _some_  truth to the whole ginger ale when you have an upset tummy thing.”  
  
“We’ll give it a shot,” Jensen agrees.  
  
“Do you have any questions for me at this time?  Anything I haven’t covered?” Dr. Rhodes offers, and yeah, Jared does have one.  
  
“Is it safe to shift?” Jared asks.  The full moon is approaching and though he knows he doesn’t  _have_  to shift with it, he’s definitely enjoyed running through the moonlight with his mate, and he wants to be able to go with Jensen on their first full moon run at their new house.  
  
“For now,” Dr. Rhodes replies and Jared smiles happily.  “But keep in mind that anything past the first trimester can induce labor, so once we cross that line, I’m afraid you’re stuck with two legs until you deliver.”  
  
“I can live with that,” Jared nods and then smiles at Jensen who smiles back and takes his hand, giving it a squeeze.

  
* * *

  
They’re having dinner a few nights later, the night of the full moon, when Jensen catches Jared completely off guard.  
  
“I think we should do something official,” Jensen says, his tone casual, but Jared can feel how much it means to Jensen pouring through their bond.  
  
“What do you mean?” Jared asks, turning his full attention to his mate.  
  
“Well,” Jensen pauses.  “I know you’re mine, and everyone knows you’ve been marked, claimed, but… well, we’re an integrated Pack, and I think we should show that in our union, add some human traditions in with our werewolf ones.”  
  
“Are you…” Jared starts.  “You want to…”  He thinks he knows where this is going, and he’s fully on board, but he has to know for sure.  Jensen has to spit it out.  
  
“I want to marry you,” Jensen finally says.  
  
And Jared feels a lightness and happiness fill his chest so full that he feels like he’ll burst from it all.  
  
“Okay,” he agrees, smiling wide and feeling ridiculously silly.  Marriage is such a widely human thing that it only appears between wolves in Packs that have integrated.  In San Antonio, when Jared was growing up, the only married wolves were those who relocated from other areas.  Claiming and mating are one thing, one huge part of werewolf society, but there’s something about Jensen wanting to stand up and declare his love for Jared for the rest of their lives that has his heart tripping over itself in his chest.  
  
“Yeah?” Jensen asks, eyes wide as his nervous excitement cuts through Jared’s own, flowing into Jared.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared grins, reaching out through their bond and calming his mate with his shared emotions.  And then a dark thought occurs.  
  
“What is it?” Jensen asks.  
  
“There may be a problem,” Jared says.  “Remember the day we met?”  
  
“Yes,” Jensen answers, voice colored with caution.  
  
“Remember how I was trying to get my residency changed without paperwork?” Jared continues.  “And how I’d been denied enough times that they were thinking about kicking me out of the territory and you convinced them to give me an extension?”  
  
“I did,” Jensen nods.  “I had to, Jared.  I knew you were my mate.  There was no way I was going to let something like that get in the way of us.”  
  
“I know,” Jared smiles softly, feeling warmed by Jensen’s admission.  “But I, uh, didn’t get permission to leave San Antonio.”  
  
“You’re Pack Beta of Dallas now,” Jensen says.  “We’ll get your residency changed.  It won’t be a problem.”  
  
“Except that San Antonio law dictates that I have to have my Alpha’s permission to leave the Pack,” Jared states.  “I ran away.  I most certainly did  _not_  have his permission and I don’t think it ever occurred to Jeff to release me.”  
  
“It’ll be okay, baby,” Jensen assures him.  “We’ll take care of it.  And I’m your Alpha now.  Your status as my mate supersedes your San Antonio residency and your father’s hold over you.  Jeff’s a reasonable wolf.  I’m sure we’ll get this fixed nice and easy.”  
  
Jared wants to relax, wants to believe that Jensen will sort all of this out and that everything will go exactly as planned, but that’s not how Jared’s life has been so far, so he has absolutely no reason to believe that anything is going to change just because he’s mated with the Pack Alpha of Dallas.  He glances at Jensen and feels his heart clench in his chest.  He loves his mate more than he ever dreamed he could, but that doesn’t mean he can keep him or this life they’ve started to build.  He should have been smarter about this, shouldn’t have gone all in the first chance he got, but it’s too late now and--  
  
“Hey,” Jensen says, putting a hand on his shoulder and pulling him out of his thoughts.  Jensen’s tone is soft and his eyes are concerned and focused all on Jared.  It’s almost too much.  “Everything will be alright.  I promise.  You know I’d fight for you and go to war for you.  I would have never gone this far just to give up over some formality that’s probably four hundred years old.  There is  _nothing_  I wouldn’t do for you.  You know that, right?”  
  
Jared nods, voice caught in his throat.  He knows that part of it is his hormones intensifying everything, making things that are minor annoyances seem like the apocalypse, and the other part is his near inability to deal with anything pertaining to his father with rational thought.  But he’s trying.  For Jensen.  For himself.  
  
“Sometimes,” he says eventually.  
  
“ _All_  the time,” Jensen says firmly.  “You can feel it.  You can feel everything about me.  I’m not lying when I say I would burn everything and everyone to the ground before I let them take you from me.”  
  
It shouldn’t get Jared so excited to hear Jensen talk like that, but it does.  And Jensen’s right.  There is no lie in his words.  He believes them with every fiber of his being.  His conviction is strong and his love is fierce, and Jared really can’t believe that someone like Jensen chose someone like him.   
  
“I know,” Jared finally responds to Jensen.  “Help me clean up?”  
  
Jensen blinks at the sudden change of subject and goes along with it.  He knows Jared enough by now and has dealt with enough of his newly occurring mood swings to just roll with it.  Jared gets the water going in the kitchen while Jensen brings in their dirty dishes.  It’s calming, cleaning up with his mate.  They make a good team, moving around each other and doing their best to streamline the entire process.  
  
Once Jensen’s brought in all of the dishes, Jared gets to washing and handing Jensen plates to rinse and then put in the drying rack.  They have a dishwasher, but it’s currently full of clean dishes that Jared ran earlier in the day that they start to unload once the dishes from dinner have been taken care of.  
  
“Are you going to tell your Mom?” Jensen asks, handing Jared the plates from the dishwasher.  “About the baby, I mean.”  
  
“I really don’t know,” Jared answers, putting the dishes away and holding his hands out for more.  “I mean, I haven’t really thought about it, but I probably won’t until I have to.  I don’t want my father to know.  He’d probably try to have me killed.  Or something equally as horrible.”  
  
“You don’t trust your mother not to tell him?” Jensen raises an eyebrow as he passes a stack of bowls.  
  
“It’s not that,” Jared says.  “But she can’t disobey him.  Not again.  Their alpha-beta dynamic is not the same as ours.  They’re hard traditionalists and he’ll use their bond against her if he thinks she’s lying or hiding something.”  
  
“You never told me what happened to your mother, why she can’t defy your father,” Jensen says and Jared tenses.  “Is it why you’re so afraid of him?”  
  
“I’m not,” Jared says, taking some glasses from Jensen and arranging them nearly in their cupboard.  “Not really, anyway.  I just know what he’s capable of.”  
  
“You want to talk about it?” Jensen offers.  “You don’t have to tell me,” he says quickly after.  “I was just curious.  I know it’s a tough subject for you.”  
  
“No, you should know, and I should tell you.  I know you just want to help and maybe me telling you will do some good,” Jared states, feeling a sense of calm and love coming through their bond, his mate giving him his support and letting him know that he understands without having to say a word.  “My father has these ideas of what make a wolf strong, an  _alpha_  strong.  Like having your beta and children under the rule of an iron fist.  
  
“He used to fully shift and force my mother to breed with him because he believed that it would breed strong alpha sons, of which he had only one, so you can imagine his disappointment,” Jared snorts, going back to putting the dishes away, needing to do something with his hands while he talks.  “When he was upset with one of us, he’d partially shift and discipline us, but he never did anything that would leave a mark.  He thought terrorizing us was more effective.  
  
“And when I escaped, after he held me hostage and tried to brainwash me for months, I know that he half-shifted and then he took it out on my mother in a fit of rage,” Jared says as Jensen starts to dry off the dishes in the drying rack, handing them to Jared one by one as he finishes.  
  
“Why doesn’t she leave him?” Jensen asks quietly.  
  
“She can’t,” Jared shakes his head.  “I think a part of her believes there is still some good in him, that there is still something of the man she first mated, that there’s something worth saving.  But I’m not so sure.”  
  
“I understand your hesitation at a mating a little better now, I think,” Jensen says, handing Jared a pan.  “I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.  No one should have to live through what you did.”  
  
“I think I came out stronger for it,” Jared tries to sound casual, but adrenaline is free-flowing through his system, making him shaky and on edge.  He always gets like this when he thinks about the things his father has done to him and his family.  “And I think that if it had been anyone but you that I imprinted on, I wouldn’t have done it, I would have run as far as I could.  You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.  I’m only sorry that I dragged you into this mess with me.”  
  
“I’m not,” Jensen states, looking him square in the eye.  “I only wish you’d have let me kill him, especially now.  Do you still think mercy was a good idea?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared replies quickly.  He’s never doubted that, even though he does feel a surge of pride at his mate’s protectiveness.  “But he’s still got friends that owe him favors and I don’t want to give him a reason to call them in.  Besides, he doesn’t even know I’m a carrier, and it’s best if he never does.  I even kept it from my Mom because I knew he’d do something to me if he found out and I was afraid.  It was bad enough in his eyes to be a breeder beta.”  
  
“I just don’t like you looking over your shoulder all the time,” Jensen frowns, the dishes abandoned as he goes to Jared.  “This is your territory, Jared.  You should feel safe here.”  
  
“I do,” Jared gives him a smile.  “The Pack is very protective of its Beta.  Especially after San Antonio and what you did, how you handled my father.  It’s earned you a lot of admiration across the state, you know.  I’ve been reading about it online.”  
  
“Oh?” Jensen asks, giving Jared a curious look.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared replies.  “Some of them are calling for you to be named State Alpha.  They want Dallas to be Alpha Pack and the movement is gaining support.”  
  
“There hasn’t been an Alpha Pack in several generations,” Jensen says.  “It’s why the Alpha Council was instated.  It’s not a good idea to give one Alpha that much power.”  
  
“They’re all polarized by you,” Jared states with a shrug.  He’s fairly certain the power wouldn’t go to Jensen’s head, but his mate is still right.  “You have a lot of wolves behind you, and your Pack,  _our_  Pack is looking out for us.  They really like the idea of you as my knight in shining armor, sweeping in to rescue me from my cruel and oppressive captor.”  
  
“Your knight in shining armor, eh?” Jensen smirks, sliding into Jared’s space and Jared can feel his pulse quicken at the Alpha’s proximity.  
  
“Yep,” Jared grins, taking his mate into his arms.  “My hero,” he smiles, kissing Jensen softly.  “I love you, Jen.  And State Alpha or Dallas Alpha, you’re  _my_  alpha and I’ll support you no matter what."  
  
“I’ll always be your alpha first,” Jensen says softly and Jared kisses him again.

* * *

  
That night they shift in their backyard and run under the moon, playing, wrestling, and cuddling as the stars twinkle above them.  They snuggle up on the porch and Jared can't help but think that if this is going to be his last full moon to shift until the pup is born, then he couldn’t have asked for a better one.

* * *

They’ve been talking for days about the baby and the wedding, about how to break it to their families, their friends, and the Pack.  Jared knows that there’s probably a tradition written somewhere about the announcement of their pup, but he also knows that Jensen is likely to ignore any and all traditions and do what he wants anyway.  Which is usually in good judgement.  And the wedding.  God, the fucking wedding.  Leave it to Jensen to want to get married within  _weeks_  of asking Jared.  The planning has been a complete and total nightmare and Jared’s just about ready to hand it all off to Jensen’s assistant and be done with it.   
  
If he has to look at one more invitation--  
  
“I’ve got to tell my parents,” Jensen says, dragging Jared from his thoughts, a touch of anxiety in his scent.   
  
They’d both been reading, Jensen a book and Jared on his laptop.  Well, Jared wasn’t really reading, not with all of the thoughts on the wedding and their pup.  But Jared knows exactly what Jensen’s talking about without him spelling it out, and he puts a wide hand over his stomach as he looks up at Jensen.  After all, they already know about the wedding.  
  
“And we’re going to have to release an announcement soon, too,” Jensen adds.  
  
“I know,” Jared nods in agreement.  He’s known since day one that they’d need to go through with telling the world about their pup, but he just never thought of it as a near-thing.  It’s always been in some nebulous future far ahead of where they are.  But they’re getting married in less than a week, and he’s going to start showing soon as well.  It’ll be nearly impossible to keep everything a secret then.  Better sooner than later and better on their terms.  Besides, it’s not like they have anything to hide.  
  
“That’s why I invited my parents over Thursday for dinner,” Jensen says cautiously.  “I figured we could tell them then and release a statement on Friday.”  
  
“And my Mom?” Jared asks.  “I guess I’ll tell her when she gets here Thursday afternoon.  It’s not like she won’t know what’s up the second she sees me anyway.”  
  
“Are you okay with all of this?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Yeah, I just… I know it’s not, but it just seems so soon, like it’s all happening so fast,” Jared says.  
  
“I know,” Jensen says.  “If I had it my way--”  
  
“We’d never be seen in public again,” Jared chuckles.  
  
“You know me after all,” Jensen laughs.  
  
“Just a little,” Jared smiles.  “Ugh, I’m not ready for this.  My mom is going to be so happy.”  
  
“And that’s a problem?” Jensen asks, confusion written all over his face.  
  
“No, not really,” Jared says.  “It just makes me feel weird.  I don’t know what to do.”  
  
“Just smile and nod,” Jensen says with a shrug.  “It’s what I do.”  
  
“My big, bad Alpha smiles and nods because he feels awkward around his mother,” Jared dead pans.  “Are you serious?”  
  
“Maybe not my mother, not all the time, at least,” Jensen says.  “But you know what she can be like.  You’ve been trapped in a room with her before.  She just  _knows_  things by looking at you and she can pry your darkest secrets out with just a  _look_.”  
  
“I find your mother to be very nice, personally,” Jared defends Donna.  
  
“Uh huh,” Jensen grunts, not convinced.  “You didn’t grow up with her.  Try hiding your porn from her sometime and see how that goes.”  
  
“We’ll make it through this,” Jared says with more confidence than he feels, an amused smile curving his lips at the idea of a teenage Jensen getting busted with dirty magazines by his mother.  
  
And he knows they will be alright.  They’ll make it through Jensen’s parents and Jared’s mom and the Pack and anything else that comes their way because they have each other, and he knows that together they can make it through anything.  
  
They’re laying in bed later that night, snuggled close.  Jared feels so content and relaxed and protected here with Jensen.  He loves sleeping with his mate in their bedroom in their house, away from the hustle of the city proper but not entirely removed from Dallas.  He really likes the spot of land Jensen found and he can see why he’d buy it up the minute he saw it.  Their neighborhors are nice too.  They’re mostly werewolves with a few humans sprinkled in, and all of them are old blood and monied so they know how to keep to themselves and don’t find Jared and Jensen to be particularly interesting.  As a matter of fact, Jared’s only seen the neighbors around them a handful of times and they’re all very respectful of the Alpha pair’s privacy.  Jared’s one hundred percent sure that’s what sold Jensen on this particular spot of land more than anything else.   
  
Jensen begins stroking Jared’s arm as he lays there, curled around his mate, and Jared thinks about how his life has turned out.  Sure, he’s had a run of luck that would make anyone look twice, but before he’d met Jensen he’d been on the run for so long that he never thought he’d have a home again.  And all because his purist father could not accept that he is a beta.  He recalls wondering from time to time, and even still to this day, how his life might have turned out had be been the alpha his father had wanted.   
  
“Do you ever wonder what it’s like to not be an alpha?” Jared asks suddenly and without necessarily meaning to, but there it is anyway.  
  
“Sometimes,” Jensen replies, regarding Jared curiously.  “Why do you ask?”  
  
“I used to lay in bed at night and wish with all my heart to pop a knot, so that my father could be proud to call me his son,” Jared says.  “I still wonder about it occasionally, what it’s like to be an alpha.”  
  
“Is this about the wedding?” Jensen asks.  
  
Jared just shrugs.  He really doesn’t know where it came from or why he brought it up now.  
  
“Thinking of others, putting myself in other people’s shoes, that’s what I always try to do when making Pack Law,” Jensen says.  “And yes, I do find myself wondering what it would be like to be a beta, to be able to blend in so well.  And sometimes I wonder what it’s like to be an omega, to always have that underlying drive to serve and to need authority.  It must be stifling, but as an alpha, it’s hard for me to imagine it as such a natural state,” he explains.  “And I even find myself wondering what it would be like to be human, to be slow and weak and  _alone_.  Yet humans, they’re resilient, and they’re clever, but they don’t know the things we do.  They’ll never know what it’s like to belong with someone else, to feel the Pack the way we do, and I find it a little sad.  But that’s neither here nor there.”  
  
Jared just digests Jensen’s words in silence.  Of all the things he’d ever wished to be or imagined being, human was never one of them.  And Jensen’s right.  He’s felt cut off from Pack before.  It was lonely and he feared he’d never be a part of a Pack again.  But humans don’t know what they’ve never felt, so they don’t know what they’re missing.  It makes him a little sad, but maybe they’re better for it.  They seem to be able to cut ties easier, and heartbreak doesn’t tend to kill them the same way it does werewolves.   
  
“What’s it like?” Jensen asks, breaking Jared out of his thoughts, one hand resting on Jared’s stomach and the other carding through his hair where he lays with his head on Jensen’s chest.  
  
“What’s what like?” Jared asks dumbly, dragging his eyes up to Jensen’s.  
  
“Being pregnant,” Jensen responds.  
  
“Oh.  I don’t know,” Jared says with a slight shrug.  “Not so different.  I mean, I’m sure there’s going to be some big differences eventually, but the baby’s no bigger than a blueberry right now, and since my stomach’s settled, it’s been about the same.”  
  
Jensen’s quiet for a moment and Jared thinks about the months to come, about growing round with their pup and how much their lives will change.  He’s already started gaining a little bit of noticeable weight, some of his clothes tightening in places they were once loose.  It didn’t take too long after the morning sickness passed for the pounds to start stacking back on.  
  
Jared frowns a little at the thought of completely out-growing his clothes.  And what’s he going to look like?  Will Jensen even want him then? God, how can his mate be attracted to him when he’ll be the size of a house?   
  
“Stop that,” Jensen says softly and with a knowing look.   
  
“Stop what?” Jared asks, glancing back up at Jensen again.  
  
“I know when you start stressing about gaining weight,” Jensen states.  “You think I care about that?”  
  
“Maybe,” Jared mumbles, flushing and looking away.  
  
“Look at me,” Jensen commands and Jared obeys.  “You’re gorgeous.  You were gorgeous the day I met you and you’re just as beautiful to me now,” he pauses, takes a deep breath.  “But now, I don’t know, there’s something about you carrying my pup that makes me happy, makes my wolf happy, on such a primal level.  I guess I just really like that there can be no dispute over who your mate is.  And now I realize what a possessive son of a bitch I really am.”  
  
“Hey, I like it too,” Jared says.  “Means you’re mine and I’m yours.  Having a part of you in me, it makes me feel calm and peaceful, connected, loved.”  
  
“I do love you,” Jensen declares and Jared grabs his hand from his stomach and brings it to his mouth, kissing Jensen’s palm and inhaling the dark, musky scent of his mate.  “So fucking much sometimes that it scares me.”  
  
“Me too,” Jared says, tilting his head up and kissing Jensen. 

* * *

  
Getting married shouldn’t be this fucking hard.  It’s not like they have to adhere to human law in order to wed, but the red tape where werewolf law is concerned is flat out ridiculous.  They have to sign Pack agreements and contracts and wills and child custody forms and Jensen’s sister has to be dragged into the whole thing, as she’s next in line if something were to happen to Jensen.  He feels a little bad for Mackenzie, always needing to be ready to take over, but in all likelihood never having to.   
He thinks it must be stressful for her to have to sign over control of her life like this, because if Jensen were to die, Jared would too, and then everything they have, the Pack, their children, would be her responsibility.  It would drive Jared up the wall, but Mackenzie is as alpha as they come and she bears it all with quiet dignity, signing where she’s instructed and doing as her brother asks.   
  
She’s not a warm and fuzzy wolf, Jared realizes immediately upon meeting her.  She’s very no-nonsense in a way that’s both admirable and a little scary.  Their greeting was perfunctory, businesslike.  She’d looked him over, congratulated Jensen on his choice of mate, and then immediately started going through the paperwork, signing where necessary and making changes where she saw flaws while Jensen sat with Jared’s hand in his, looking upon them both with pride while she and Sebastian hashed out the finer details of the contracts.  
  
As Head of the Council, Sebastian will be the one who will preside over their wedding after he reviews the terms of their marriage.  And the dumbest part is that Jared’s brother will have to sign him over to Jensen.  Dallas might be liberal and progressive, but Texas is a traditionalist state, and the Alpha of his home Pack or a proxy has to  _give_  him to Dallas, like he’s livestock or fucking property all because he’s Pack Blood mating and marrying a Pack Alpha.  
  
It’s kind of a mess, but Jensen has assured him over and over that it’s completely worth it and that he has absolutely no regrets.  It also helps when he gets all growly and says things like  _you’re mine_  and  _I’m not going to let anyone take away my mate_.  It really gets Jared’s blood going.  
  
They’ve chosen invitations (finally), music, flowers, and have been fitted for their suits, and they’ve got a ballroom reserved at some fancy hotel for the reception.  All that’s left is getting their families together this weekend and then getting married.   
  
And Jared cannot fucking wait. 

  
* * *

  
It’s still dark when Jared wakes up, but there’ll be no going back to sleep.  He’s got a raging hard on and a sweet, dull ache inside begging to be filled by the alpha laying with him.  
  
Jensen’s a solid line of heat—hard, perfect heat—and without even thinking about it, Jared scoots closer, pressing himself against Jensen’s side.  From there, his body takes the lead, rubbing and writhing against his mate, trying to find some relief.  
  
It feels good too, the tight friction of his dick against Jensen’s hip, and he’s so into it, so gone with need, that he doesn’t even realize Jensen’s awake until the Alpha has him pinned flat on his back and is pushing in between his thighs.  There’s a primal growl deep in Jensen’s throat as he leans in to taste Jared, lips and tongue and teeth moving over Jared’s neck as he gasps and tilts his head back, asking for more.  
  
“Something you needed?” Jensen asks, breath teasing Jared where it ghosts across his skin, making him squirm against the heavy presence of Jensen’s body.  
  
“Just you,” Jared replies, arching up, trying to follow Jensen as he sits back on his heels and takes his heat with him.  
  
Jared’s about to protest the distance, but stops when Jensen pulls his shirt off.  Yeah, that’s more like it.  Jared grins and licks his bottom lip at all of the smooth, muscled planes of Jensen’s body.  Fuck, he could look at his mate all day and never get bored.   
  
Jensen’s back over Jared in the next second, bending low and placing warm, reverent kisses across Jared’s belly.  Jared has to touch, has to feel Jensen under his fingertips, and puts his hands in Jensen’s soft hair, trying to let him know how good it feels, how much he loves his mate and his new obsession with Jared’s stomach.  And Jared thinks he’d better enjoy it now, because once he really starts to show, he might not be so inclined to allow such attention to his belly.  
  
But now… now Jensen’s touch makes him feel like he’s on fire, makes a heat burn low in his gut and intensifies that aching need.  As Jensen works his way lower, Jared’s breath hitches and he almost forgets to breathe altogether as his mate pulls his boxers down and off.  His hard, leaking cock springs free, coming to rest heavy and full against his stomach.   
  
Jensen curls his hand around Jared, stroking him slowly, his grip just barely tight enough to tease as he dips down and kisses Jared’s belly again.  Jared closes his eyes and lays back, enjoying the attention from his mate.  After a handful more strokes, Jared feels fingers spreading him further apart and seeking out his hole.  And yeah, that’s exactly what he wants.  
  
He arches into Jensen’s hand and gasps when the first finger breaches him.  It feels like forever since they’ve done this.  He’s been so inconsistent about when he feels good that they haven't’ done anything in weeks.  But now, now he just wants Jensen to fuck him into the mattress as hard as he can for the rest of the night.  
  
“I’ll do what I can,” Jensen says quietly from above him and that’s when Jared realizes he’s been thinking out loud.   
  
Jared’s eyes fly open to find Jensen staring down at him, slightly flushed and looking both turned on and amused at the same time.  He wants to be mortified, but he just can’t find it in himself.  
  
“I take it to mean you’re feeling better?” Jensen asks, adding a second finger and making Jared moan loud at the sensation of being stretched.  
  
“God, that feels so fucking good, Jensen,” Jared tells him.  
  
When Jensen adds a third finger, Jared almost comes right then and there.  He lets Jensen prep him for a few more seconds and then pushes him back.  While Jensen’s regaining his balance, Jared scrambles around on the bed until he’s on all fours, presenting himself to Jensen.   
  
Jared looks over his shoulder to see the confused look melt off of Jensen’s face as his eyes go bright, flashing in the dark of their bedroom, and a low purr of approval sounds from deep in the Alpha’s chest.  Jared grins, pleased beyond all reason, and sticks his ass out as he drops his chest down and arches his back.  He knows  _exactly_  what he’s doing.  
  
“Jared,” Jensen says, low and rough as his hands go to Jared’s hips and then glide over his ass.  “So good.  Such a good mate.”  
  
“Alpha,” Jared whines when Jensen’s finger slides down between his cheeks again before Jensen spreads him open.   
  
Jared isn’t made to wait long.  In the next breath, Jensen guides himself into Jared, sliding through his slick hole all the way until he’s flush with Jared’s ass.  Jared gasps and then a high moan is ripped from him when the Alpha pulls back and thrusts back in hard enough to shove him forward.   
  
Jensen sets up a hard, fast pace, and all Jared can do not to be fucked headfirst into the headboard of their bed is to brace against it with all of his strength as he moans and cries out for his mate.  He’s sweating and his hands are sliding down the wood, but he doesn’t ask Jensen to stop or let up any.  If anything, he’s begging for more, harder, faster, as Jensen grunts behind him in his effort to oblige.   
  
Jensen’s hands are tight, fingers digging in hard enough that Jared knows that if he doesn’t bruise he’ll at least be tender where his mate holds him.  Jensen leans forward, sweaty forehead resting on Jared’s back and Jared begins shoving back into Jensen, meeting him thrust for thrust.  Then Jensen’s knot begins to swell and it’s like everything in Jared’s body, every nerve, every cell, begins to sing.   
  
He knows he’s making ridiculous sounds, gasping and panting out half-formed words, and then Jensen’s knot pops through, swelling large enough to lock them together.  Finally.   
  
Stars are exploding across Jared’s vision and he whites out for a second when he comes, shouting out and squeezing tight around Jensen, who stills inside of him, petting him gently and holding him up, keeping him from collapsing completely as he comes down.  When Jared can finally breathe again without choking on air, he realizes he’s trembling in Jensen’s arms.  He’s never come that hard before, not the he can recall, at least.  His whole body feels like it’s vibrating with his release and he feels weak and rubbery.  
  
Jensen seems to get it, and he shifts them to lay on their sides.  As soon as they’re situated, Jensen’s hips start moving again in slow, circular grinds.  Jared whimpers every time Jensen’s knot presses against his prostate but there’s no getting hard again, not so soon after  _that_ , and definitely not when his bones still feel like jello.  
  
Jared reaches for Jensen’s hand and holds it tight as Jensen works himself to his own completion. Jensen comes a few seconds later with Jared’s name on his lips before his bites down gently on his shoulder, hips stuttering as he empties himself into Jared.  
  
They’re quiet then, for a few moments, just laying there, breathing together before Jensen breaks the silence with his deep, rumbly voice.  
  
“Hey,” Jensen says.  
  
“Hey,” Jared says back.  
  
“I love you,” is what comes out of Jensen’s mouth next, and Jared can’t help the feeling of warmth and happiness that explodes out of his chest.  He knows Jensen feels the same way.  It’s coming through loud and clear through their bond.   
  
“Love you too,” Jared says, smiling even though Jensen can’t see it.   
  
They fall asleep wrapped in each other not long after that, and Jared can’t help but feel like everything is coming together.  Finally.

* * *

  
The Thursday of their wedding weekend is upon them and Jared’s finally nervous.  He’s nervous about marrying Jensen, which is kind of ridiculous since they’re already mated and that’s a way bigger deal in the werewolf community anyway, but he’s still nervous about how the Pack might  react.  So far, they’ve been nothing but supportive of their Alpha and his chosen mate, but Jared's still a little insecure about that.  He still has no idea what about him is public knowledge, mainly from a desire to never have anything to do with that part of his life ever again, and he has no idea if the Pack will suddenly decide he’s lacking enough to turn their backs on him.  What would Jensen do if that happened?  Jared finds it hard to believe that he’d use his authority as the Pack Alpha and force his choice on them, but he’s also finding it more and more difficult to imagine Jensen just up and leaving him.  Unless he saw the same things the Pack did and decided they were right.   
  
“Relax,” Jensen’s voice startles him, close in his ear as the Alpha wraps his arms around Jared from behind.  He’s been scrubbing the kitchen all morning to make sure it’s flawlessly clean for the arrival of his mom and sister and Jensen’s family.  He’s tired and sore and reeks of various cleaning solutions, but he does as Jensen suggests and melts back into his mate’s hold.  “I could feel you freaking out from upstairs.  What’s going on?”  
  
“I just… I’m nervous about everything, I guess,” Jared says.   
  
“What’s got you nervous?” Jensen asks, rubbing his hands in soothing circles over Jared’s stomach.  
  
“The wedding,” Jared grumbles.  “And telling everyone about our pup.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen says into Jared’s shoulder.  “It’s stressing me out too.  But you’ve been at this all day.  Why don’t I take over and you go have a nice, warm bubble bath?  Isn’t your mom going to be here soon?”  
  
Jared checks the clock, and sure enough, Jensen’s right.  Sherri’s due in a little over an hour.   
  
“Yeah,” Jared nods, reluctantly moving out of Jensen’s comforting hold.  “I guess I’ll take a bath.  I do kind of smell.”  
  
“What’s left to do? Jensen asks, looking around the kitchen.  
  
“Nothing really,” Jared admits.  “I was just compulsively scrubbing the shit out of the stove because if I sat still I felt like I was going to go insane.”  
  
"Well, I’m going to finish up in here while you take a bath, and then I’ll run to the store for some stuff for dinner,” Jensen offers.  “You in the mood for anything in particular?”  
  
Jared shakes his head.  Though his nausea has abated, his appetite is still touch and go.  Some days he’s ravenous, can’t get enough food, and others he barely eats and nothing sounds good enough to eat or even make a meal of.  It’s making him a little on edge, but he knows it will pass and he can wait it out.  
  
“I’ll just do my old go-to then,” Jensen says.  
  
“Steak and potatoes?” Jared gives him a smile.  
  
“Yep, steak and potatoes,” Jensen beams back at him.  
  
“See you in a bit then,” Jared agrees, giving Jensen a quick kiss and then heading upstairs for a nice bath.

  
* * *

  
He’s just gotten dressed and pulled on his shoes when the doorbell rings.  Without needing to look, he knows it’s his mother, can catch faint wafts of her comforting scent and hear the soft, muffled sound of her heart through the door.   
  
“Hey, Mom,” he greets as he opens the door, smiling at her when she grins at him wide enough that her eyes crinkle at the corners.  
  
“Oh, my baby boy’s getting married!” Sherri says excitedly, wrapping him in her arms.  
  
“It’s just a formality, Mom,” he insists as he lets her in the house and shuts the door behind her.  Maybe if he repeats it enough he’ll feel less anxious.  “He marked me a long time ago.”  
  
“I know, Jared,” she gives him a stern look, dropping her suitcase in her entryway.  “But mothers dream of marrying their children off.  I’m just so glad that you can.  After your father tried to… well, I think we can agree that coming to Dallas was the best thing for you.  You’re so happy, and it makes me happy.”  
  
“I really am, Mom,” Jared grins, leading her into the living room.  
  
“It’s like you have this  _glow_  around you, almost like…” she comments, tilting her head and sniffing and Jared freezes.  “Jared?” she asks curiously.  
  
She  _knows_.  He’d hoped that their time apart had distorted her memory of his scent and that his mate’s mark would confuse what she might remember, but he should have known better.  A female, especially one that has already borne pups, can always detect another wolf carrying.  
  
“You can’t tell him,” Jared whispers as they both sit on the sofa.   
  
“You… when did you find out you could carry?” she asks, her eyes going misty as her voice grows quiet.  
  
“Right after we mated for the first time,” Jared says, blushing.  “Jensen insisted on knowing.  And instead of taking suppressants, we let nature take its course.”  
  
“Oh, Jared,” she gasps, wrapping him in another hug.  “How far along are you?”  
  
“Eleven weeks,” he says, hugging her back.  “I still think it’s too soon to get excited.  It’s not like males are known for being stable carriers, but if we just make it through these first three months, then we’re home free and I’ll get excited.”  
  
“Have you been sick?” she asks with concern in her eyes as he sits them down on the sofa, facing each other.  
  
“I have either been sick or I’ve not felt like eating,” he groans, laughing softly anyway.  
  
“I was like that too,” she chuckles back, smoothing a hand over his stomach.  “But it passed after the first trimester.”  
  
“That’s good to hear,” he sighs in relief.  
  
“Why didn’t you use a surrogate?” she asks.  
  
“I wanted to carry my mate’s child myself,” he answers.  “I wanted to carry _my_  child.  Even if we haven’t quite figured it out, I wanted the experience,” he explains.  “And I’m enough alpha to be completely against another wolf encroaching on my relationship with my mate and my pup.”  
  
“And your mate?  What are his thoughts?” she asks.  
  
“He’s kind of freaking out, but he’s really excited,” Jared says.  “He hates that I’m so unpredictable with the eating and that I wear out quicker, but he’s adjusting, trying to take care of me and stuff.  He’s good to me, Mom,” he insists.  “He’s perfect.”  
  
“I know, baby,” she says, smiling over at him.  “It will be an honor to give you to such a wolf, even if it is only a formality.”  
  
“Thanks, Mom,” Jared smiles back.  
  
“And your father won’t know from me,” Sherri says fiercely.  “I would never put my child or my grandchild in danger.”  
  
“Even if he does what he did to you after I left San Antonio?” he asks.  
  
“I would rather die,” she states.  “What he did to me didn’t break me, Jared.  I never told him a thing.  Your old Mom is a lot stronger than she looks.  And with that pretty collar your alpha fitted Gerald with, he’s not going to be much more than a nuisance for me.”  
  
“That’s good to know,” Jared relaxes against the back of the sofa, reaching out and taking her hand.  “I worry about you being alone with him.”  
  
“I’m doing fine, JT, and your brother is taking very good care of me,” she says.  “He’s working very hard to set himself apart from your father and make sure that Gerald toes the line and adheres to his sentencing to the letter.”  
  
“That reminds me, is Jeff coming?” Jared asks.  
  
“We decided one of us should remain in San Antonio to keep your father in check,” she answers.  “He insisted I go and I was hard pressed to find a reason to refuse.”  
  
“So he gave you custody of me?” Jared asks.  
  
“Better.  He signed the papers himself,” she says.  “He had Jensen’s office overnight them to his and he agreed to everything.  He says you are well taken care of legally, that Jensen was extremely meticulous and even his lawyers could find nothing wrong with anything.”  
  
“Of course they didn’t,” Jared says, defensive of his mate.  “My mate has sworn to take care of me.”  
  
“Jeff was just impressed,” Sherri says, tone placating.  “Since taking over the Pack, he’s been discovering what kind of man your father truly was.  He’s got a lot of admiration for your mate and he’s been using Dallas as a model for the changes he wants to make to San Antonio.”  
  
“Tell me more about Jeff,” Jared requests.  “I haven’t heard from him since I got back to Dallas.”  
  
“He’s been doing well,” she answers.  “Being Alpha has really brought out the best in him.  He’s selected his Council and they’ve started rewriting Pack bylaws, writing out anything old, outdated, or oppressive, and he’s been campaigning to help the Pack understand the new laws they’ve been working on and the changes that are going to be made.  There’s even been talk of integration with the human population.  He’s met with the mayor and everything.”  
  
“I’m really proud of him,” Jared smiles.  
  
“I am too,” Sherri agrees.  “I’m proud of both of my sons,” she smiles back.  “And who would have thought you’d give me grandchildren before Jeff?  Especially when he’s been mated for five years now.”  
  
“Jeff’s got a lot on his plate, Mom,” Jared defends his big brother.  “I’m sure they’ll get around to it when things settle down.”  
  
“I know,” Sherri sighs.  “I’m just really ready to be a grandma, though.  It’s been too long since I had pups running around.”  
  
“Running around?” Jared laughs.  “Then you’d better hope they’re nothing like me.  I was a disaster on legs.”  
  
“Oh, Jared,” she says warmly, her smile softening as she pets his cheek and looks right into his eyes.  “I hope they’re  _everything_  like you.”

  
* * *

  
Jensen comes home to find Jared and Sherri sitting on the couch still, talking and laughing and sharing stories about his childhood.  Jared notices his mate standing in the doorway with a soft smile on his face as he watches them.  Jared insists he join them and he and Sherri hit it off in a way they didn’t have the chance to in San Antonio.  It doesn’t seem like there’s any awkwardness between them and it makes Jared happier than he could possibly imagine.  
  
“Alpha, may I have a word in private?” Sherri asks after a few minutes of visiting and catching up.  It grabs Jared’s attention and Jensen flicks his eyes over to him for a second, watching as Jared nods that it’s okay with him.  
  
“Sure, and please call me Jensen,” Jensen agrees.  
  
“Thank you, Jensen,” Sherri tries out, earning a smile from the Alpha before turning back to Jared.  “Your sister should be along shortly.  I believe Jensen’s sister invited her out for a girls’ day.  It was quite unexpected, but Mackenzie insisted and Megan has been so isolated, it was so good to see her out interacting with a girl her own age.”  
  
“Mac’s sweet like that,” Jensen smiles, sounding so proud of his sister for making such an effort to get to know Jared’s sister before they were formally introduced.   
  
Hell, the only reason Jensen met  _any_  of Jared’s family is because his father kidnapped him.  If that had never happened, Jared’s not sure he ever would have seen his family again.  He’s happy that Megan was given the opportunity to get out and see Dallas with Mackenzie too.  
  
“I’ll be on the look out for her,” Jared says and Jensen leads Sherri to his home office.   
  
Not but ten minutes later, the doorbell rings again, and just as with his mother, Jared can scent the excitement of his sister on the other side of the door, her scent so familiar to him still.  
  
“Meg!” Jared exclaims happily as he opens the door to his sister and several large bags slung over her arms.  “You’ve been shopping.”  
  
“Mackenzie took me,” Megan grins, displaying her shopping bags and then giving him a quick sniff as her face goes from happy to slightly confused.  “And you’re… pregnant?”  
  
She sniffs him again like she doesn’t quite believe it.  
  
“Um, yeah,” Jared fidgets under her intense inspection, running a hand through his hair in habit.  “I am.”  
  
“Well, that was unexpected,” Megan says, but grins wide.  “But in the best way.”  
  
She drops her bags and throws her arms around his neck, hugging him close, but gently.  
  
“I’m gonna be an aunt!” she declares giddily as they part.  “Oh my god, does Mom know?  Please tell me I’m not the first.  She’ll kill me.”  
  
“No, she found out a few hours ago when she got here,” Jared assures her.  “We’re telling everyone else at dinner, but I’m not sure we’ll make it that far if everyone can smell it on me the instant I’m in range.”  
  
“You just glow with it, Jared,” Megan says, dreamy and smiling wide.  “And I can smell Jensen on you stronger than before.  Your scent, it’s you, but you just smell like you and Jensen are having a baby.  It’s hard to describe.  It might just be a beta thing.”  
  
“I guess we’ll see,” Jared says and reaches for some of her bags, intending on helping her get settled in.   
  
“Oh no you don’t, mister,” Megan snatches them from his grasp before he can even touch one of them.  
  
“Meg, don’t be ridiculous,” Jared scoffs.  “I’m pregnant, not dying.”  
  
“No strain,” she wags a finger in his face.  “You know how delicate male pregnancies are, even if you’re built like Thor.”  
  
Jared glares at her, trying to intimidate her, but it’s useless.  She’s made up her mind and stands firm.  
  
“Fine,” he concedes, rolling his eyes as he lets her through the door.  
  
She takes her stuff up to the guest bedroom she’ll be staying in at Jared’s directions, and then she comes back down the stairs and joins him in the kitchen.   
  
“So, you and Mackenzie seem to have hit it off,” Jared says idly, perching himself on a stool while he watches his sister move around in the kitchen, scrounging up a snack for herself.  
  
“No, Jared,” Megan sighs.  “I know where you’re going with that, and  _no_.”  
  
“Why not?” Jared asks.  “Is it because she’s a girl?”  
  
“You know that’s not it,” Megan flushes and turns away from him quickly.  
  
“So you  _do_  like her,” Jared grins.  “What’s wrong then?”  
  
“Who’s to say she even likes me?” Megan shrugs.   
  
“Why wouldn’t she?” Jared asks.  “Meg, she invited you out for an entire day and took you shopping, and I’m willing to bet that if she’s anything like her brother she wouldn’t let you spend a dime of your own money.”  
  
“She was just being polite,” Megan mumbles, but Jared knows better.  He’s been there before with Jensen.  There’s just no saying  _no_  to them.  
  
“She’s probably waiting for her brother’s approval,” Jared counters.  “She’s the little sister to her Pack’s Alpha.  Her mating is almost as big of a deal as his, and after all of the shit Jensen and I had to go through, she’s probably just exercising a little caution,” he points out.  “Besides, she’d have to be brain damaged to not want you.”  
  
“I… thanks,” Megan says, giving him a hopeful smile.  
  
“That’s what big brothers are for,” Jared smiles back.

  
* * *

  
Jensen’s family arrives around six, Donna and Alan and Mackenzie in tow, and Jensen’s the one to greet them while Sherri and Megan help set the table and get dinner plated.  Jared can head Jensen greeting everyone before he leads them into the dining room where Jared and his mother and sister wait.   
  
“Jared!” Donna exclaims as she sweeps him into a hug.   
  
“Hey, Donna,” Jared greets as he hugs her back.  “Glad you guys could make it.”  
  
“Of course we’d make it!” she grins as they separate and Alan goes for a firm handshake.  “We wouldn’t miss getting to see your lovely new house and meet your family for anything.”  
  
“Thanks,” Jared says as he takes a step back.   
  
“Mom, Dad,” Jensen begins, stepping up next to Jared and motioning for Sherri and Megan to come forward as well.  “This is Sherri, who I think you already know, and Megan, her daughter and Jared’s sister.”  
  
“It’s great to see you again, Donna,” Sherri says as she and Donna meet for a hug.   
  
“You too,” Donna smiles warmly and it makes Jared smile too.  “It’s been too long.”  
  
“I know,” Sherri agrees as they part.  “I let things get in the way when I shouldn’t have.”  
  
“You don’t need to explain,” Donna says kindly.  “I knew you never meant to lose contact.  Sometimes things beyond our control have a way of controlling us,” she glances to Jared and he looks away.  Donna has a knack for saying things that are sometimes too true to handle.  
  
“But not anymore,” Sherri says.  “And this is your mate?”  
  
“Yes!” Donna says brightly.  “This is Alan, former Alpha of Dallas.”  
  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alpha,” Sherri bows her head slightly, a customary greeting that Jared’s sure his father drilled into her until it became instinct.  
  
“Call me Alan, please,” Alan flashes her a kind smile.  “My son is Alpha now, and there’s no need to stand on ceremony.  We’re already family.”  
  
“As you say, Alan,” Sherri agrees.  “And is this your daughter?  The girl my daughter could not stop talking about all afternoon?”  
  
“Mom!” Megan gasps, sandalized and blushing bright red.  
  
Sherri, Donna, and Alan all look far too smug at her reaction.  Mackenzie, on the other hand, looks nothing but pleased.   
  
“Yes,” Alan says, pulling Mackenzie in with the group from where she’s been lingering behind them.  “This is Mackenzie.”  
  
“You have a beautiful family,” Sherri compliments them and Donna expresses her thanks and says the same of Jared and Megan.  
  
“Shall we eat?” Jensen suggests after they’re done.  
  
Everyone agrees, especially Jared, and they take their seats around the table and tuck in.  Conversation flows easily, with Donna and Alan and Sherri engaging each other as well as Jensen and Jared, while Megan and Mackenzie make eyes at each other.  Jared couldn’t be happier that everyone is getting along so famously.  It really make him feel at ease and takes a weight off his chest he hadn’t realized was there until it is gone.   
  
Jensen takes his hand under the table and squeezes it as the food begins to disappear, grabbing Jared’s attention.  
  
“Should we?” Jensen asks, nodding minutely toward Donna and Alan.  
  
“Now?” Jared asks, getting his meaning.  
  
“No better time, really,” Jensen says with a shrug.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared agrees, smiling to his mate.  “Let’s do it.”  
  
“We, uh, we have an announcement,” Jensen says, turning back to the table and getting the attention of the table.  Everyone’s eyes are on him and Jared’s certainly glad that his mom and sister already know, because he’s not sure he could take the anticipation of so many wolves clouding the air.  “We’re going to have a baby.”  
  
“ _Jensen_ ,” Donna gasps, a hand going to her heart as her eyes go glassy as they turn to Jared.  “You’re?”  
  
“Yes, ma’am,” Jared responds with a nod.  “Eleven weeks.”  
  
“We’re sorry we didn’t tell anyone sooner,” Jensen immediately apologizes.  “We’ve just been so busy with moving and all of the stuff that happened with the Council and wedding preparations--”  
  
“We understand, son,” Alan says, going a bit misty-eyed himself.  “You were being cautious.  There’s nothing wrong with that.”  
  
“We’re just so happy to know now,” Donna agrees, standing and going around the table to sweep them both into a tight hug.  “And we’re so excited,” she smiles brightly as she lets them go and then gives them both a kiss on the cheek.  “Now, you let me know if there’s anything we can do to help you out.  Having a pup is a big deal.”  
  
“We know, mom,” Jensen says as she goes back to her seat and they all start to eat their meals.   
  
“And if we decide we need help, everyone in this room will be the first to know,” Jared adds and Jensen nods in agreement.  
  
“This is so exciting!” Megan exclaims and Jared doesn’t disagree.

* * *

It’s the day of the wedding and Jared feels like giving up.  He’s been trying to get his tie done for what feels like days and it’s just not working.  He jerks it out of his collar for the fifth time and glares at it.  He knows it’s not the tie’s fault.  It’s really not anyone’s fault.  He’s just grumpy from his and Jensen’s parents forcing them apart last night.  He didn’t sleep very well and it’s starting to show.  
  
Who knew that spending one night away from Jensen, even with him just down the hall, would be enough to disrupt his sleep.  And he’s been so tired lately, it’s not even funny.  By all rights, he should have slept like a brick, but instead he spent the night tossing and turning, his body seeking out Jensen’s warm, reassuring presence, sleep only coming to him in fits and starts.   
  
He hopes Jensen fared better.   
  
“JT, are you ready?” his mother asks, poking her head into his room as he makes another attempt at his tie.  
  
“Just about,” he replies, putting the finishing touches on his tie.  There.  Finally.  
  
He’s glad Jensen asked him to marry him before he got huge.  He’s had to go up a size in his suit already and doesn’t really want to think about what he’s going to look like in a few months.  Yet another thing to be grumpy about on his wedding day.  He’s also happy that they decided on a simple ceremony with only the Dallas Council, family, and close friends in attendance, as he really couldn’t handle more than that today.   
  
Jared’s wearing white, as is the traditional color for a beta, and Jensen will be in all black, their ties a matching green, one Jared chose because it complimented Jensen’s eyes, and Jared thinks he looks pretty good despite gaining several pounds and filling out his clothes in ways he never has before.   
  
And the dark circles under his eyes that Megan swore were a figment of his imagination.  
  
“You’re so handsome,” Sherri says.  “You’re going to blow him away.”  
  
“Thanks, Mama,” Jared gives her a smile.  
  
He smoothes his jacket out, but leaves it unbuttoned as it’s the only part of his suit that shows the strain from the weight he’s gained since he had it fitted.  His mother smiles back at him and brushes her hands over his shoulders, her eyes going a little soft as she takes him in.  
  
“Mom?” he asks.  “Are you okay?”  
  
“I’m just trying not to cry, that’s all,” she admits a little shakily.  “I’m so grateful to see you safe and loved and just so happy, it’s almost more than I can handle.  And then there’s  _this_ ,” she says, voice full of wonder as she pets his growing stomach.  “Your alpha is a lucky wolf, baby.”  
  
“I’m the lucky one,” Jared insists.  “He’s amazing.  He’s given me everything I could possibly dream of, and I can’t imagine my life without him.”  
  
“I know he feels the same way about you,” Sherri says.  
  
“I know,” Jared smiles.  “So, ready to give me away?”  
  
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she replies.  
  
The ceremony goes off without a hitch.  Jensen’s eyes are glued to Jared the entire time, like he’s the only other person in the universe, and Jared understands completely as he’s only got eyes for the Alpha.  Jensen looks so soft and handsome that it’s all Jared can do not to just plaster himself against his mate right there in front of everyone they know and beg Jensen to take him.   
  
Jared can’t help the tingling, wonderful feeling that warms him all over as Jensen says his vows.  It reminds him of his acceptance of Jared when he marked him, and Jared’s voice shakes a little when he says his vows to Jensen, meaning them more than anyone has ever meant them before.  And when Sebastian finally declares them married, Jared only has a second to enjoy the feeling that rushes through him before Jensen’s got him in his arms, kissing him thoroughly to the cheers of those in attendance.  
  
As they part, neither letting go of the other, they both smile with big, stupid grins.  
  
“I love you,” Jensen says, leaning forward and kissing Jared softly again.  
  
“I love you too,” Jared returns.

  
* * *

  
The reception is perfect.  It’s small and tastefully decorated and Jared can’t help but think that this is everything he never knew he wanted or needed.  Jared and Jensen sit at their table, accepting the well-wishes and congratulations of every wolf that comes by.  Most of Jensen’s council has already been seen, as well as a few others that were invited, like Chris and Steve who are sharing a slow dance on the floor at the moment, and Vicki, who is mingling with some of the other Alphas in attendance.  
  
Chancellors Richard Speight Jr. and Robert Benedict step up to their table next and Jensen and Jared give them their full attention.  
  
“Congratulations, Alpha,” Speight says with a warm smile and Jensen holds Jared just a little bit closer as pride and pure joy radiate from him.  
  
Since their announcement went out, their baby has been the talk of the Pack.  
  
“Thank you,” Jensen replies, slipping his free hand over Jared’s slightly rounded stomach where their baby is growing.  The touch sends a spark of affection through Jared, bringing a soft smile and fond look to his face as he turns and nuzzles into Jensen’s hair.  
  
“Yes, congratulations, Alpha, Beta,” Benedict says with an equally bright grin.  “And the best of luck to both of you.  I’m sure you’ll have the most beautiful pup.”  
  
“You flatter us,” Jared smiles, playing his role of gracious Beta far better than he could have ever anticipated.  “But thank you for your kind words and also for your support.”  
  
“It’s my pleasure,” Benedict says with a slight bow of his head in respect.  
  
“And mine,” Speight agrees.   
  
They both dip their heads in respect to the Alpha Pair once more and with a nod from Jensen are given their leave.  
  
“I still can’t get over the fact that we’re going to have a pup, that I’m going to be a dad,” Jensen confesses as soon as they’re alone again.  “I just… I’ve always wanted a family, and now you’re giving me one, and I can think of no one I’d rather build a family with than you.”  
  
“Me neither,” Jared grins.  “And believe me when I say that it’s hard for me to believe this is happening too, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you’re going to be a great dad.”  
  
“You think?” Jensen asks.  
  
“I know,” Jared states.  
  
They’re quiet for a moment, both enjoying the reception and watching their friends and family have a good time as well.  
  
“Did you ever think you’d have a shotgun wedding?” Jared teases, breaking the silence and earning him a  _look_  from Jensen.  
  
“We’re already mated,” Jensen reminds him, bristling a little.  “That’s more than married.”  
  
“I know, I know,” Jared says with a smile, putting his hand on Jensen’s leg beneath the table and laying his head on the Alpha’s shoulder.  Jensen leans into him and covers his hand, linking their fingers together.  
  
“So, please tell me you’ve noticed the looks my sister has been giving yours,” Jensen says, changing the subject.  
  
“Oh, yeah,” Jared chuckles.  “And vise versa.”  
  
“Good,” Jensen states, the word a deep rumble in his chest.  “I’m not the last to know, am I?”  
  
“I’m pretty sure you aren’t,” Jared replies.  “I only found out a few days ago myself, and it’s not like they’re very obvious.”  
  
“No,” Jensen agrees.  “I don’t understand, there Megan is, looking right at Mackenzie and Mackenzie knows it,” he starts.  “Why doesn’t she make her move?  Why does she hesitate?”  
  
“Why did you?” Jared poses.  
  
“That was different,” Jensen says, glancing back to Jared.  
  
“Not as different as you think,” Jared returns.  “She knows there are just as many political ramifications to her mating as yours.  Maybe she’s just waiting for your approval.”  
  
“Mackenzie’s never asked my permission for anything before,” Jensen scoffs.  
  
“This is different,” Jared points out.  “Maybe she just needs to know that her brother, her Alpha, approves and that she’s free to follow her heart.”  
  
“She’s always been free to do so,” Jensen argues.  
  
“Sometimes it helps to hear it,” Jared suggests.  
  
“All right,” Jensen finally concedes.  “If you think that’s what she needs, then I’ll do it.  But first, I want to dance with my beta.”  
  
“Have you ever actually  _seen_  me dance?” Jared laughs.  
  
“No,” is Jensen’s response.  
  
“There’s a good reason why,” Jared says.  
  
“This is our wedding,” Jensen says.  “I want to dance with my pregnant, beautiful beta, and I could give a fuck about your dancing skills.  I just want to hold you in front of all of our friends and colleagues and share a song or two.”  
  
“Well, when you put it like that, how can a guy refuse?” Jared asks, letting Jensen pull him up and lead him to the floor.  
  
“Just follow me,” Jensen instructs.  
  
“Always,” Jared agrees with a private smile that’s just for his alpha.  
  
They dance as a slow song plays.  Jensen takes Jared into his arms and leads him around the floor, guiding him nearly effortlessly and making Jared feel more graceful that he ever has before.  It makes Jared smile and go all hot in the cheeks that are starting to ache with all of the smiling he’s been doing.  But he’s happy, really and truly happy, and he just can’t help it.   
  
They stay for a few more songs and then slip out to the car that’s waiting for them without anyone noticing.   
  
“Think they’ll be mad?” Jared asks as they slide into the backseat of the town car.  
  
“Nah,” Jensen says, giving the driver instructions to take them home.  “They probably haven’t even noticed we’ve left, and by the time they figure it out, everyone will be ready to leave anyway.”  
  
“Seems you’ve got it figured out,” Jared says, relaxing against Jensen’s side as the driver takes them away from the din of the city and back to their quiet neighborhood.  
  
“I do what I can,” Jensen gives him a grin.  “Besides, I’ve definitely got plans for tonight.”  
  
“Oh?” Jared asks, perking up at the change in tone of the Alpha’s voice and the sharpening of his scent.   
  
“Well, it  _is_  our wedding night,” Jensen points out, eyes going dark as he looks Jared over.  
  
“You’ve already got me pregnant,” Jared reminds him.  In case he forgot.   
  
“I’m very well aware of that, baby,” Jensen says.  “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to take you home and make love to you.”  
  
“Yeah?” it comes out breathless but Jared really can’t care.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen says and then closes the distance between them, taking Jared’s face in his hands and crushing their mouths together.  
  
Jared whimpers into the kiss, fingers reaching up and clinging, twisting in Jensen’s suit jacket, trying to hold on for dear life as Jensen presses him against the door and changes the angle to kiss him even deeper.  Jensen’s tongue sweeps into Jared’s mouth and Jared moans, feeling his dick plump and his hole flutter in anticipation.  And, hell yes, he’s getting wet.  For Jensen, only for Jensen.  
  
By the time they arrive at the house, Jensen’s got Jared well and truly wrecked.  He chases Jensen’s mouth and touch the entire way out of the car, not letting go of his mate for one hot second, not even to help him get the door unlocked and open.  No, instead he plasters himself against Jensen’s back, hands rubbing over his chest and stomach while he rolls his hips against Jensen’s tight ass.  God, he loves this man.  
  
“There it is,” Jensen says softly as he finally gets the door open, dragging Jared in behind him and herding him upstairs to their room.  Jared is one hundred percent behind this plan and strips as he goes, leaving pieces of his wedding suit all over the staircase.  He couldn’t honestly care less who finds them, so long as Jensen takes him to bed and does as promised.   
  
Jared’s completely naked by the time they get to their room.  He crawls into bed and lays back, making sure Jensen can see all of him.  If the sharp inhalation and the darkening of Jensen’s scent are anything to go by, then Jared’s hit his mark.  A deep rumble builds in Jensen’s chest as he stares Jared down and moves forward.  
  
“Stop,” Jared commands and Jensen does as asked.  “Strip.”  
  
Jensen’s reply is a raised eyebrow and an amused smile.  
  
“Make it good,” Jared adds.  
  
Jensen’s smile turns feral as he slowly sheds his jacket.  Jared’s eyes immediately zero in on his toned chest, muscles showing as the fabric of Jensen’s shirt stretches across his chest as he drops the jacket to the floor.  Next is his tie.  Jared watches as his strong fingers tug and pull at the knot until it comes undone and then he slides the length of fabric from the collar of his shirt.  
  
The cufflinks are next.  Jared can definitely say he’s never thought about cufflinks in any kind of erotic way before, but watching Jensen deftly take them out makes him slide his palm down his stomach and take himself in hand.  Jensen’s eyes snap up to watch the up and down motion of his fist and the flick up to Jared’s eyes, letting Jared know he’s playing with fire.   
  
“Keep going,” Jared encourages.   
  
Jensen does as asked, sure and steady fingers making quick work of the buttons on his shirt before it, too, joins the jacket and tie on the floor.  Jared watches as Jensen takes his belt in hand, fingers wrapping around it as he pops the buckle open and then slides it out of the loops, dropping it to the floor with a dull clank.  Jensen’s eyes go back to Jared as he opens his pants, a knowing smile making its way onto his handsome face as he pushes the pants down his hips, letting Jared finally see the outline of that big alpha cock through his tight boxer briefs.  It’s enough to make Jared’s mouth water and his pulse race.  
  
When Jensen strips off his undershirt, Jared bites back a moan, and when he rids himself of his boxer briefs and takes himself in hand, Jared can’t help but whine, needing his alpha all over him, covering him in his scent and coming in him and everything.  
  
“Come here,” Jared begs and Jensen moves forward, crawling onto the bed and pushing himself between Jared’s spread thighs.  
  
“Hi,” Jensen says as he lines up with Jared.  
  
“Hi,” Jared returns.  
  
Jared smiles and Jensen smiles back, and Jared thinks they both must be crazy with how much they’ve been smiling at each other today.  Instead of saying anything, though, he surges up and kisses Jensen, rolling them over and laying himself out on top of his mate.  Jensen seems to like this, growling his approval and grinding his hips up, rubbing his hard cock against Jared’s.  And, well, Jared’s been drooling after that cock since he first glimpsed it barely shielded by Jensen’s boxer briefs, so he pulls away from Jensen’s mouth and starts kissing his way down Jensen’s chest.  
  
“Jay, what are you doing?” Jensen asks, gripping his shoulders and stopping his descent.  There can be no mistaking Jared’s intent here.  
  
“What’s it look like I’m doing?” Jared answers, laying a wet, open kiss to Jensen’s taut stomach.   
  
“You don’t have to do that,” Jensen says, voice dark and husky, belying his true desires.  
  
“I know,” Jared returns.  “But I never get to anymore, not that I’m complaining, but maybe I want to be able to give my mate a blow job every now and then.  You shouldn’t get to have all of the fun here.”  
  
“It’s not just about me hogging all of the fun,” Jensen says, leaning up on his elbows.  “Half of the time I’m already too close to the edge and ready to fuck you to slow down, and the other half of the time I get off on making you feel good too much to let you have a turn.”  
  
“What gets you off about it?” Jared asks.  
  
“The power,” is Jensen’s answer, followed by a hiss when Jared drags his teeth over Jensen’s skin.  “Oh, god, Jay, the way you come apart, knowing I can do that to you, that I have that power, I know it’s greedy of me, but I just can’t help it.”  
  
“Greedy alpha,” Jared agrees against Jensen’s quivering stomach.  “Let me, Jen,” he implores.  “Let go for just a little while and let me take care of you.”  
  
“Because you want to?” Jensen asks.  
  
“God, yes,” Jared says, leveling his gaze at Jensen and waiting, watching the want win out slowly against his base need for control.  
  
At the barest nod of Jensen’s head, Jared takes his mate in his mouth, licking and sucking the head of his cock happily, loving the tangy burst of Jensen’s own distinct taste on his tongue.  Jared hums in contentment and Jensen’s scent curls itself around him, urging him on as Jensen drops his head back and moans out Jared’s name softly.   
  
That gets Jared even harder, his cock twitching up, straining for anything, any kind of friction, and it makes Jared’s hole wetter.  Jesus, he can feel it clenching and it aches for Jensen to fill it, but not yet.  He’s got other plans first.   
  
Jared swallows Jensen down as far as he can go, bobbing his head up and down, his hand making up for the length he can’t fit into his mouth.  When Jensen’s this hard, this far gone, he’s much too big, and try as Jared might, there’s no getting him all the way in his mouth.  Jensen flexes his hips up and Jared groans, meeting him halfway on his thrust.  When Jensen’s cock hits the back of his throat, Jensen suddenly pulls Jared off with both hands in his hair.  
  
He knows what he must look like, lips red and shiny with spit, eyes lazy and hooded as he takes his mate in.  The Alpha is flushed, his skin looking hot to the touch, and Jared can see his veins standing out against his muscles.  His eyes are bright, glowing even, and his fangs are out as he pants.  
  
Jensen puts Jared on his back with a growl and shoves his knees up to his chest, exposing Jared’s hole to Jensen.  Jared denies the Alpha nothing, holding his legs up and reaching down to spread himself further to the Alpha’s gaze.  There’s another rumble from deep in Jensen’s chest as his eyes go from Jared’s face to his ass and back again, like he can’t quite believe what Jared’s doing.   
  
But Jared knows  _exactly_  what he’s doing.  Especially when he meets Jensen’s eyes and then deliberately turns his head to the side, giving Jensen his submission and showing him the mating mark Jensen gave him.   
  
Jared’s legs are pushed apart then, and Jensen drops down over him, chest to chest, mouth going immediately to the bite, lips and teeth closing over it gently.  Jensen licks the bite and sucks at hit just enough to send shocks of pleasure through Jared, making him push up into Jensen as he cries out.   
  
“Please, Jensen,” Jared begs, hands going to the Alpha’s shoulders, holding tight, clutching like he’s the only thing tethering Jared to reality.  
Jensen pushes his hips forward and bumps the head of his cock clumsily at Jared’s hole.  Jared gasps and locks his legs around the Alpha, trying to help him line up right, and then…   
  
“Fuck,” Jared groans as Jensen slides in.  “Oh, fuck, Jensen.  Fuck, fuck, fuck.”  
  
Jensen sinks his teeth further into Jared’s mark as he pulls back and then thrusts back in, setting up a slow, deliberate,  _hard_  pace.  The Alpha grunts with every thrust and Jared just hangs on, gasping and choking on moans as Jensen strokes into him  _just right_.  Jared’s surprised when Jensen pulls his mouth off of the mark and drags his lips across Jared’s jaw until their mouths are pressed together.   
  
Jensen kisses him like he’s fucking him, relentless and dominating, and Jared can’t get enough.  Jared tries to keep up, tries to give as good as he’s getting, but damn if Jensen’s not fucking the ability to do anything but moan right out of him.  As Jared feels Jensen’s growing knot press against his rim, Jensen lets his mouth go.  Jared throws his head back and sucks in as much air as he can only to have it punched right back out of him as Jensen fucks him hard enough to shove him up the bed.  
  
The Alpha growls, a hand going to Jared’s hip and holding him in place so tight that Jared’s sure there will be bruises that fit the shape of Jensen’s fingers.  Jared hangs on to Jensen, holding him close, feeling that knot grow larger and larger.  
  
“Oh, fucking shit,” Jared curses again as Jensen shoves his knot in a final time, growing too big to pull back out.   
  
Jared’s dazed, floating along in a sea of happiness as Jensen drops down on top of him, breath hot against Jared’s throat as he grinds his hips in circles against Jared.  Jensen reaches down and takes Jared in hand, squeezing him and stroking him in time with the movement of his hips.  Jared doesn’t know if Jensen’s magical or what, but he manages to time his knot pressing into Jared’s prostate with this thing he does with his wrist, and then Jared’s coming hot and wet between them.   
  
His eyes are squeezed shut so tight that he sees stars and he realizes, after he starts to come down, that his whole body is trembling with the force of his orgasm.  He reaches a shaky hand up to his mate’s face and pulls him in for a soft kiss.  
  
“Come for me, Jensen,” Jared whispers, watching Jensen’s handsome face screw up, eyes slammed shut and teeth bared as he pushes himself over the edge.  
  
Jensen begins coming with a low moan, his whole face relaxing as his hips jerk into Jared.  He looks beautiful, and he smells perfect.  He smells like them, like mate, like Jared’s, and it makes Jared’s wolf happy.  Jensen collapses on top of Jared for a moment before wrapping his arms around him and rolling them so that Jared is on top.  Jared knows it has nothing to do with Jensen being heavy and everything to do with him being paranoid about the baby.  Jared smiles and lays on top of his alpha anyway.  He’s going to be the best father.  
  
“So,” Jensen begins, voice a deep sound in Jared’s ear where it’s pressed to Jensen’s chest.  
  
“So,” Jared echoes, smiling as he traces his finger over Jensen’s skin on random patterns.  “You went a bit feral there,” he speaks up when Jensen maintains his silence.  
  
“Yeah, I, uh, I’m sorry?” Jensen offers.  
  
“Don’t be,” Jared says.  “It was hot.  Reminded me of the early days when you couldn’t wait to have me pinned down so you could fuck me and way you wanted.”  
  
“Nothing’s changed in that regard,” Jensen says.  
  
“Maybe, but you’re more careful these days,” Jared points out.  “And I know why.  It’s okay.  I just, sometimes I miss it.”  
  
“We’ll be like that again, Jay,” Jensen says softly.   
  
“I know,” Jared says.   
  
They stay like that for a bit longer, just content to be together until Jensen’s knot goes down enough and the separate.  Jared hates how empty he feels without Jensen buried deep inside of him, tied together.  He gets that they can’t be like that all the time, but sometimes he wishes they could.  That thought right there is what he used to dread.  He used to feel sorry for all of the betas and omegas out there, so stuck on some alpha’s knot that they couldn’t even see straight, and here he is.  What a hypocrite.   
  
He blows out a breath hard enough to flip his hair out of his face at that thought when Jensen goes to the bathroom to get a washcloth to clean them up.   
  
“What’s on your mind?” Jensen asks as he comes back.   
  
“I’m just laughing at how ignorant I used to be,” Jared admits, letting Jensen clean him up and then climb back into bed next to him.   
  
“Oh?” Jensen prompts as he gets comfortable.  
  
“I used to think it would be awful, that being knotted and claimed by an alpha would be akin to slavery, only I’d want it so much that it wouldn’t matter,” Jared shrugs.  “I know some alphas use it as a means to control their mates, just as I know you’d never do that to me.”  
  
“Never,” Jensen agrees.  “I want you willing or not at all.  That’s why I waited so long to claim you.  I wanted you to come to me, to want to be with me because you wanted it and not because I forced it on you.”  
  
“I know,” Jared smiles at Jensen.  “I knew that being with you would change my world in every way, and I wanted it.  I  _still_  want it.  I will  _always_  want it.  I will  _always_  want you.”  
  
“And I will always want you,” Jensen smiles.  “Warts and all.”  
  
“Oh, haha,” Jared says and smacks Jensen’s shoulder before the alpha pulls him back in and kisses him softly.  
  
“You seem really happy, my husband,” Jensen says, pulling Jared close under his arm, and Jared’s heart skips a beat at that, at Jensen calling him his husband.  
  
“I am, my mate” Jared smiles into Jensen’s warm skin, snuggling close to his alpha.  “For the first time, everything is perfect.  I have my family behind me, I have you beside me, and we have our first child on the way.  What more could I want?”  
  
“I’m glad I could help you feel this way,” Jensen says.  “I don’t want anything but for you to be happy.  It’s all I need.”  
  
“I love you,” Jared says, feeling sleep pull him under.  
  
“Love you too,” Jensen echoes and it’s the last thing Jared hears before he drifts off.

* * *

  
Today is the first appointment of Jared’s second trimester and he’s both nervous and excited.  Or maybe that’s Jensen projecting through their bond.  
  
Jared offered to drive several times before they left and he’s kind of regretting letting Jensen get behind the wheel.  He knows they’ve almost blown through three red lights, and Jensen just missed a stop sign.  At least there were no other cars at the intersection.  Police included.  It just wouldn’t do to have the Dallas Pack Alpha pulled over by DPD.  Jared’s sure there would be lots of growling and flashing teeth and eyes, and, well, it just wouldn’t be pretty.  
  
This appointment is much like the last with the clinic devoid of everyone but Dr. Rhodes.  She takes them back to the same room and checks everything on Jared before drawing some blood and having him pee in a cup, which is so much fun.  Not.  
  
She takes her leave to go run some lab tests and leaves them alone.  
  
“Second trimester already,” Jared says with a grin, nudging Jensen with his foot.  
  
“I know,” Jensen says, smiling back.  “I can hardly believe it.”  
  
“Before we know it, our baby will be here,” Jared says, leaning back on the bed and rubbing at his stomach.  There’s still not much there, but he likes to think he can see a difference.  He thinks if anything, it just looks like he ate too much.  That makes him laugh.  
  
“What?” Jensen asks, leaning forward and running a hand up Jared’s thigh to join his on his stomach.  
  
“I was just thinking that it looks like I have a big food baby and not an actual, you know, baby,” Jared says.  
  
“Or that you’ve let yourself go,” Jensen adds.  
  
“Hey!” Jared gasps, but laughs at the look on Jensen’s face.  “You’re so wrong for that.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen says with a soft laugh.  “I love the way you look.”  
  
“Would you still love it if I really had let myself go?  If I wasn’t this fat because I was pregnant?” Jared asks.  
  
“Yes,” Jensen replies without hesitation.  Jared can detect nothing but the truth from his mate and it makes him feel better.   
  
“I’d still love you if you got fat, too,” Jared says and they both smile at each other with a warmth that Jared feels down in his bones.  
  
A shrill ring breaks the moment.   
  
“Shit,” Jensen swears as his phone rings again and he takes it out and looks at the screen.  “It’s Chris.”  
  
“Take it,” Jared says.  “I’ll be fine.  I’m a big boy.”  
  
“I’ll be right back,” Jensen promises, kissing Jared quickly and exiting as Dr. Rhodes enters.  
  
“Beta,” Dr. Rhodes greets him.  “Sorry for not visiting before.  Kind of wanted to get a start on those labs.  How are things?”  
  
“Great,” Jared replies with a slight shrug.  “Not pleased about outgrowing my clothes, but it is what it is.”  
  
“If it helps, I’m very happy with the weight you’ve gained,” she smiles.  “I’d much rather you be a bit overweight than underweight.”  
  
“You and Jensen both,” Jared chuckles.  “It seems to be his personal mission to fatten me up.”  
  
“He’s doing a commendable job,” Dr. Rhodes comments happily.  “How’s the nausea?”  
  
“Practically nonexistent,” Jared reports with a smile.  
  
“Felt anything move yet?” she asks.  
  
“No,” Jared shakes his head.  “Should I?”  
  
“It’s not super common to feel anything this early, but in the coming weeks, you may start to feel things,” she says.  “Some people think it’s just gas.  Others know immediately what’s going on.  Have you been able to pick up the heartbeat yet?”  
  
Jared shakes his head.  
  
“It may take you a while,” Dr. Rhodes says kindly.   
  
“Can Jensen hear it?” Jared asks.   
  
“If I was a betting woman, I’d say yes,” she says with a sympathetic look.  “Alphas tend to have more sensitive hearing than betas and omegas.”  
  
“Figures,” Jared grumbles.  
  
“If he’s kept it to himself, then he knows you can’t hear it yet,” Dr. Rhodes points out.   
  
“Yeah, probably,” Jared agrees.  
  
“You’ll hear it.  Don’t worry about it,” she says with another kind smile before turning serious again.  “I’m going to cut to the chase, Beta.  This exam is going to be a little different and probably uncomfortable,” she warns with soft eyes.  “You’re far enough along that we should ultrasound and get a good look at the baby and see how it’s doing.”  
  
“Okay,” Jared agrees.  “What’s the catch?”  
  
“We can’t do it externally,” she replies.  “Not yet.  It’s too small and there’s too much in the way.”  
  
“But we need to do this?” Jared asks.  
  
“It’s a good idea to get all of the information we can since this is your first,” she says.  “Do you want to wait for your mate?”  
  
“Nah,” Jared says.  “How do you need me?”  
  
“On your back, feet in the stirrups,” she says, pulling a cart with a screen close and getting her tools ready as he follows her instructions.  
  
He feels exposed like this, and not in the way he likes when he’s with Jensen.  It doesn’t feel right, but if it’s in the best interest of their pup, then he’ll endure.  
  
He jumps when cold, slick fingers touch his hole, and he jackknifes upright, eyes wide with surprise.  
  
“Just some KY,” Dr. Rhodes says.  “Just lay back for me and relax.”  
  
Jared takes a deep breath and tries not to think too hard about someone other than his mate touching him  _there_.  
  
“We’re ready now,” Dr. Rhodes says.  “Just remember to relax.”

  
* * *

  
Jared meets Jensen in the hallway, grabbing his arm and forcing them both out of the clinic, not speaking a single word.  
  
“What happened?” Jensen asks the moment they leave Dr. Rhodes’s office.  
  
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jared responds quietly.  He knows Jensen’s just worried, but that check up was more than he bargained for.  
  
“Is everything okay?” Jensen pushes as he unlocks the car and waits for Jared to get in.  
  
“Look, I don’t want to even  _think_  about what just happened, all right?” Jared says.  “So please, don’t ask me.”  
  
“I’m just concerned,” Jensen says, starting the car.  
  
“I know.  Just give me a little while to recover and it’ll be fine,” Jared requests, knowing full well that the moment he lays down for his nap, Jensen will be on the phone.

  
* * *

  
Jared wakes to the feel of Jensen climbing into bed behind him.   
  
“I’m sorry,” he says softly, pulling up snugly behind Jared, wrapping an arm around him and placing a kiss to his shoulder.  
  
“It’s not your fault,” Jared says, lacing his fingers with Jensen’s and pulling their joined hands up under his chin.  “You didn’t know.  Neither of us did,” he points out.  “We probably should have done some research, but it’s a bit too late for that now.”  
  
“What can I do to make this right for you?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Just be there, like you already are,” Jared says.  “I’m a big boy, Jensen.  I’ll be alright.  I just… it made me uncomfortable and it didn’t feel right that it wasn’t you.”  
  
“We should have just gotten a surrogate,” Jensen mutters.   
  
“Nah,” Jared disagrees, turning in Jensen’s hold and snuggling into the Alpha’s chest.  “I like it,” he reassures his mate.  “Having a part of you in me,” he says, smiling.  
  
“I still think you’re utterly amazing,” Jensen whispers, tilting Jared’s face up and kissing him gently.  
  
“Yeah, you like it too,” Jared smiles, knowingly.  
  
“I do,” Jensen agrees.  “And I love you.  I’d do anything you asked me to.”  
  
“I know,” Jared replies, drifting back to sleep, feeling warm and safe, surrounded by his alpha.  “I love you too.”

  
* * *

  
When Jared wakes later, he’s alone.  He listens to the house and follows the sound of Jensen making dinner into the kitchen.  He knows Jensen knows he’s there, but Jared’s glad Jensen’s pretending he hasn’t heard him, continuing around the kitchen and letting Jared watch him work.  
  
“I want to talk to Steve,” Jared says after a few more minutes of just watching his mate move.  “After this visit to Dr. Rhodes, I think we need to be more prepared.”  
  
“Okay,” Jensen agrees.  “I’ll call Chris and see if they can come by sometime this week.”  
  
“Thanks,” Jared replies, smiling at his alpha, going to him and wrapping his arms around Jensen from behind.   
  
“Of course,” Jensen responds, leaning into Jared’s touch.  
  
“Hey, so, can you hear the baby’s heartbeat?” Jared asks and Jensen pauses in his movements.  
  
“Sometimes,” Jensen admits.  “It has to be very quiet, you have to be still, and I have to have an ear close to you.”  
  
“I figured that,” Jared says into the back of Jensen’s neck.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”  
  
“I knew you couldn’t hear it,” Jensen confirms his and Dr. Rhodes’s suspicions.  “I didn’t want to upset you that I could when you couldn’t yet.”  
  
“I know,” Jared says.  “How long have you been able to hear it?”  
  
“Promise you won’t get mad?” Jensen asks, and that’s odd.  So odd that it has Jared forgetting to answer.  “Jay?” Jensen prompts.  
  
“Uh, yeah, of course,” Jared agrees.   
  
“I first heard it a couple of months ago,” Jensen says.  “You were about six weeks along or so.”  
  
“Six weeks?!” Jared almost screeches as he stands there in shock.  
  
“Jared, baby, I’m so--”  
  
“I’m not mad, Jen,” Jared says as Jensen turns around to face him.  “I’m just surprised is all.  Dr. Rhodes said you’d probably been able to hear it for a while.  I just didn’t think you’d been able to hear it that soon.”  
  
“I should have told you,” Jensen grumbles.  
  
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Jared says, earning him a confused look from his mate.  “You’re right.  It would have upset me.  I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat today on the ultrasound, so it’s not so bad.  I’ll be happier when I’m able to hear it myself with my own ears and not some magic wand shoved up my ass, but it’s enough for now.”  
  
“You’re sure?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Yes,” Jared gives him a little smile.  “I’ve never seen you so afraid to tell me something before, Jen.”  
  
“I’ve never had to say something you might not forgive me for before,” Jensen says.  
  
“I’d forgive you anything, you know?” Jared offers and Jensen shakes his head.  
  
“You’re something else, you know that?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared laughs.  “Now, what are you making me for dinner?”

* * *

Jared’s not shocked when Misha shows up a few days later, he suspects, to babysit him while Jensen meets with his Council.  He opens the door to the rhythmic knock that he’s come to associate with the blue-eyed wolf and huffs out a sigh and shakes his head, opening the door wider to let the beta in.   
  
“He knows I’m not this fragile,” Jared says, mostly to himself, but it earns him a sympathetic look from his friend.  
  
“He does,” Misha agrees.  “But he worries.”  
  
“That he does,” Jared says, showing Misha into the kitchen.  “Drink?”  
  
“Coffee?” Misha asks hopefully.  
  
“You’re in luck,” Jared flashes him a smile.  “Jensen bought this stupidly expensive keurig when we moved in.  Not that I get to enjoy it, but that’s beside the point.  Breakfast blend okay with you?” he asks, waving a k-cup at Misha.  
  
“That will suffice,” Misha nods.  
  
Jared pops the k-cup in and gets everything going.  
  
“I’m actually kind of glad you came by,” Jared says as he gets out the cream and sugar and sets them in front of Misha, turning back in time to catch the machine finishing its magic trick.   
  
“Got something weighing on your mind?” Misha asks, raising an eyebrow at him as he doctors his coffee to his liking.  
  
“Something like that,” Jared says.  
  
“You know that you can come to me with anything,” Misha offers, turning those blue eyes on Jared.  Sometimes it’s like Misha can see right into his brain, like he already knows what Jared wants to say, but he waits him out with the patience of a monk.   
  
“I know,” Jared nods, putting the cream and sugar away when Misha’s done, if for nothing else than just to keep his hands busy.   
  
He piddles around, finding little things to straighten as Misha sips his coffee with so much zen that it’s making Jared a little crazy.  
  
“I keep finding myself doing things that I swore I never would,” Jared finally spits out, turning and leaning against the counter opposite of where Misha sits, considering him calmly.   
  
“Such as?” Misha asks.  
  
“Submitting,” Jared says.   
  
“Submitting?” Misha repeats.  “I feel like we’ve had this conversation before.”  
  
“We probably have,” Jared shrugs.  “Part of me feels like I should submit to Jensen, that I should follow his lead in whatever and let him be in control.  But another part of me wants to fight it, wants to tell him where to shove it and that I can call the shots too.”  
  
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Misha says.  “It’s perfectly healthy to feel that way.”  
  
“I know, deep down inside I know, but it’s hard sometimes,” Jared says to Misha.  “Betas are built to follow their alphas, but I’ve been hardwired from day one to not submit to anyone.  It’s just difficult for me sometimes to find that balance, to know when to push and when to withdraw.  I just don’t want to dig my heels in when I shouldn’t.”  
  
“Your mate doesn’t seem put off by this,” Misha points out.  “He actually seems to relish it.”  
  
“I just don’t want it to ever be a problem,” Jared says.  “I don’t want him to wake up someday and decide that a submissive beta is what he wants after all, and I won’t be able to give him that.”  
  
“Jared, you submit to him when it’s important,” Misha says.  “And you having a strong will and not always bending to his is something that he admires, something that makes you unique and that he loves about you.  You know this.”  
  
“I do,” Jared admits.  “I’m just scared that something’s going to go wrong.  My life has never been this easy or this good.”  
  
“You should tell the Alpha,” Misha suggests.  “You should share your concerns with your mate.  Perhaps he can put your mind at ease.”  
  
“He does,” Jared says.  “It’s when I’m away from him that I get paranoid.”  Sometimes it feels as though he’ll never truly be free of his father’s presence.  
  
“You are the carrier of his pups,” Misha states.  “You need to remember that, and that he fought an older, stronger alpha for you because you  _asked_ him to bring you home.  When you start to doubt, just remember that.”  
  
“I’ll try,” Jared says.  
  
“Do or do not.  There is no try,” Misha quotes and Jared rolls his eyes.  
  
“Thanks, Yoda,” he retorts.  
  
“Look, I’m going to say this once for your benefit, and then I might start charging you,” Misha says, leaning across the counter and looking him square in the eye.  “What you have is a healthy relationship.  What you’ve witnessed growing up is not.  Your fears are absolutely normal and no one, especially not your mate, thinks any less of you because of them or holds you responsible for them.  That fucked up little voice in the back of your head, telling you you’re not worth it or that you’re going to screw everything up?  It’s fucking wrong, and no one will convince me otherwise.”  
  
Jared gives Misha a grateful smile and they both seem to decide without it being said to change the topic of conversation to something lighter.  They talk about the baby, how excited Jensen and Jared are for its arrival, how the Pack has come out in overwhelming support for them and their growing family, and Misha tells Jared about his classes at the university and the ridiculous shenanigans kids are getting into these days.  He makes Jared laugh as he tells him of all of the creative lies his students have come up with and the excuses they give him for not doing assignments, and then he goes on to tell him about a pair that he’s sure are fucking but pretend to hate each other in class, even though they come in reeking of each other every day.  
  
They’re still laughing when Jensen comes home a little while later.  He comes to Jared immediately and gives him a kiss, rubbing his hand over Jared’s stomach, and then turning and greeting Misha with a friendly smile.  They converse for a little while longer, Jensen asking after Misha and Misha doing the same.  
  
“It’s getting a bit late,” Misha comments, standing and looking toward the front door.  
  
“You’re welcome to stay for dinner,” Jensen offers as Jared’s stomach starts rumbling.   
  
“I really should be going,” Misha says.  “I’ve got midterms to grade, lives to destroy.”  
  
Jensen chuckles and claps Misha on the shoulder.   
  
“If you must,” Jensen says.  “Thank you for keeping Jared company this afternoon.”  
  
“It was my pleasure, Alpha,” Misha bows his head as he speaks the title.  “It’s always nice to visit with friends.”  
  
“Couldn’t agree more,” Jensen says.  
  
“Come back soon, Mish,” Jared adds, going to his friend and giving him a quick hug.   
  
They say their goodbyes and see Misha to the door.  After Misha is gone, Jensen takes Jared back into the kitchen and sits him down, starting on their dinner.  
  
“How was the Council?” Jared asks.  
  
“Good,” Jensen reports.  “The transition has gone according to plan and I interviewed four new candidates for the open positions.”  
  
“Oh?” Jared perks up.  “Any winners yet?”  
  
“It’s early days,” Jensen shrugs a shoulder.  “How was your visit with Misha?  You guys seemed to be having a good time when I got here.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared nods.  “It’s good to hang out with someone from the outside world occasionally.”  
  
“You know if you’re feeling cooped up, you can come with me,” Jensen offers.  
  
“I know,” Jared says.   
  
They fall into a comfortable silence as Jensen busies himself with making dinner, humming a little to himself as he moves around the kitchen, measuring pasta and putting it in a pot of boiling water.  Jared watches him, loving that his mate is so attentive and takes such good care of him.  He wishes other betas were as lucky.  It makes him think about what he and Misha talked about, how the things he knew growing up are not the things he knows now.  It makes him wonder if Jensen was like this for everyone he dated.  And then it occurs to him that he doesn’t know if there was anyone before him.  
  
Maybe someone who Jensen cared for and doted on and who was submissive and mild, who was the perfect beta.  
  
Before he has the chance to do anything else, that thought spreads its roots through his mind until he can’t stand it anymore.   
  
“I have a weird question,” Jared says, going and standing next to Jensen as he works on their meal.  “And I don’t want you to take it the wrong way.”  
  
“Okay,” Jensen drawls, cutting his eyes toward Jared, regarding him cautiously.  
  
“Did you… was there ever anyone before me?” Jared asks.  
  
“What do you mean?” Jensen stops stirring, looking directly at him this time.  “Did I date before you?”  
  
“And other stuff,” he says more quietly.  
  
Jensen doesn’t answer him right away, and as the silence drags on Jared begins to worry that he might have made Jensen upset, but then his mate takes a deep breath and goes back to stirring the pasta.  
  
“It was never serious,” Jensen says with a half shrug.  “I went out with a few betas in college, but it wasn’t anything other than casual dating.  Being an alpha from such an old bloodline, there are a few things that are certainties for me.  Like having a true mate.  The wolves I messed around with, they were just a means to pass the time.  I know it sounds bad, but I was very upfront about the relationship not going anywhere.”  
  
“And what about other stuff?” Jared asks.  
  
“Like one night stands?” Jensen raises an eyebrow.  “Yeah, there were a few, mostly betas, but there was an omega or two.  It was college.  Everyone experiments, but my preference is betas.  Tall, built, handsome betas,” he says, dragging his gaze over Jared and then meeting his eyes, letting him know in no uncertain terms that Jared is it for him.   
  
“And betas that aren’t very beta-like?” Jared ventures.  
  
“Is that what this is about?” Jensen stops stirring again and puts his focus on Jared.  “Jared, none of those other wolves could hold a candle to you.  In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve had me wrapped around your finger since the day we met.”  
  
“I just… I don’t know,” Jared shrugs and glances at his feet, scuffing the floor with his shoe a bit.  “I get to wondering sometimes, and I’m just… I know better for the most part, but sometimes I’m scared you’ll wake up one day and decide you don’t want to be with me anymore because I’m not like other betas.  It makes me feel so vulnerable, not being able to put on the happy kept beta act.”  
  
“You don’t get it, Jay, do you?” Jensen asks, pulling him close and holding him tight, gaze intense and locked on Jared’s.  “ _I’m_  the vulnerable one here.  You’ve got me completely at your mercy.  I would go anywhere, do anything you asked me to, and I have no control over that.  The compulsion I have to take care of your every need, to see to your every desire makes me weak, makes me helpless.  You have  _all_  of the power, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  It’s in my biology, my most basic nature to put you higher than myself.  And without you, I’m not an alpha.  I’m just another wolf.”  
  
“How is it you know exactly what I need to hear?” Jared asks.  
  
“I know you, Jay,” Jensen says softly, grip gentling.  “I knew what I signed up for, and I don’t regret a single second of it.  I will always do my best to give you what you need because you always give me exactly what I need.”  
  
Jared smiles and leans in for a kiss, lost for words and unable to find anything that could express how much he loves Jensen, how lucky he feels to have this wolf as his mate.  Jensen seems to get it, arms going around Jared as he kisses him back, their bond humming with happiness between them and making Jared feel wrapped in warmth and acceptance. 

* * *

  
A few days later, Chris and Steve are due for their visit.  Jared is excited.  He has so many questions for the beta and really wants to pick his brain.  Jensen’s been smiling and indulgent, seemingly amused by Jared anxiously awaiting their arrival by busying himself in the living room with various baby and birthing books Misha dropped by for him to read.   
  
He’s rather engrossed with one in particular, detailing the history of male carrier births.  It’s graphic, to say the least.  Not many males survived the process in the early days and took measures to ensure they were either mated to female carriers or omegas, or that they never conceived with their alpha mates.   
  
Those who did, however, they were lucky to have lived.  Jared admires the kind of bravery it must have taken those wolves, knowing that having a child could claim their lives or could leave them permanently disfigured.  Survivors seldom carried again,  _couldn’t_  carry again, were often cut open or ripped themselves open to get the pup out and ended up infertile for the remainder of their lives.   
  
All of the books tell him it’s imperative that a male carrier shift to give birth, but that the pain of labor can stop the change, can keep a wolf from shifting, and that’s why so many betas died during childbirth.  That’s why the ones that didn’t die were left unable to carry any longer.  That’s why male pregnancies were so dangerous and so delicate.   
  
Jared feels a spike of nervousness rush through him and he brings a hand up to his belly.  He knows he’s in good hands with Dr. Rhodes.  Steve has survived two and bears no scars from either pregnancy.  He’ll make it through this.  This is what he wanted, after all.  There’s no way he’s making a mistake.  His baby is  _not_  a mistake.  He will get through this and any others that come his way.  
  
He takes a few deep breaths to calm and center himself, and then there’s a knock at the door.  
  
“Steve and Chris are here!” Jensen announces after a moment.   
  
“Send Steve in here!” Jared calls back from the living room, listening as Jensen greets the Alpha Pair of Fort Worth.  
  
“Chris and I will be out back,” Jensen says as they pass by, Chris snarking at Jensen as Steve shakes his head with a fond smile.  
  
“Hey, man,” Steve greets, entering the room and gesturing the to sofa.  
  
“Hey,” Jared returns, nodding at the piece of furniture.  “How’s it going?”  
“Good, very good,” Steve smiles, sitting on the sofa as Jared stays on the recliner.  “You?”  
  
“As good as I can possibly be,” Jared smiles back.  
  
“So, you have questions for me?” Steve asks, getting comfortable and settling into the plush cushions a bit.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared says, tugging at his t-shirt.  It’s starting to get too tight and keeps riding up.  “I was grossly unprepared for my last check up with Dr. Rhodes and I was wondering if you had any advice or could give me a heads up for anything else.”  
  
“Of course,” Steve says warmly, eyes catching Jared’s fidgeting and pulling at the hem of his shirt.  “First off, invest in bigger shirts.  There aren’t any clothes made currently for male carriers, so t-shirts and button ups are generally the items of choice,” he suggests.  “I used to borrow some of Chris’s shirts, but seeing as you’re already larger than your mate  _without_ the pup, I can’t see that working.”  
  
“Not really, no,” Jared agrees, laughing quietly with the other beta.  
  
“Now, the appointments are going to be invasive,” Steve says.  “It’s the only way to be thorough, and I promise the female carriers get the same treatment.  But due to the often unstable nature of our anatomy, it’s very important to go and get checked up on the schedule Dr. Rhodes gives you,” he explains.  “No one likes them, but they are a necessary evil.”  
  
“Good to know,” Jared says.  
  
“Has she asked you to change your diet yet?” Steve asks.  
  
“No, but I have the feeling it’s coming,” Jared sighs and makes a face.  
  
“You’ll be all right,” Steve smiles assuringly.  “I’ll make sure and pass some good stuff to Jensen.  I experimented with cooking  _a lot_  when I was pregnant.  It took quite a while until I mastered recipes that both tasted great  _and_  adhered to my restrictions.”  
  
“Thanks, man,” Jared says.  “I appreciate it.”  
  
“Anytime,” Steve assures him.  
  
“And how about birthing?” Jared asks, nervous because he can’t really wrap his head around how it’s supposed to happen and not leave him like those poor betas he read about.  
  
“You have to shift.  If Dr. Rhodes hasn’t gone over this with you yet, you should definitely ask her,” Steve suggests.  “I don’t recall much from having either of my kids, except that it left me pretty sore for a few days afterward.”  
  
“You don’t remember much?” Jared asks.  “Is it… is it that bad?  That painful?”  
  
“Oh, no, not at all,” Steve shakes his head and offers him a placating smile.  “It’s just, they had to force the shift with me and I know that I had to be heavily sedated because I was too stressed out to even sprout claws.  It’s like I got stuck.  But once they got me to the right level, I shifted and everything went very smoothly.  I was just too drugged up to know what was going on.  Probably for the best, really.”  
  
“How often does that happen?” Jared asks, feeling a little faint at the thought of getting stuck.  
  
“I’m not sure,” Steve shrugs.  “They didn’t seem concerned about it at the hospital, so probably often enough, but I wouldn’t say it’s the norm by any means.”  
  
“Okay.  That’s… that’s probably good.  And, um, will I…?” Jared asks, making a gesture to his chest.  He feels so awkward, but it’s still less awkward than asking Dr. Rhodes.  
  
“Oh!  No.  Well, probably not,” Steve says, shaking his head emphatically.  “You might want to look into a wet nurse for that or some good formula.”  
  
“Um, okay.  Why?” Jared asks, curious.   
  
“Something about too much testosterone in the system,” Steve says.  “It’s why some of us have to use surrogate carriers, too.  The testosterone creates an unstable environment, but some of us can still carry, some of us have the right hormone cocktail to nurture a pup to term, but only females and the lucky few males can nurse.  Most of us just aren’t built for it,” he states.  “But if it doesn’t happen for you, you won’t miss it.  Not like you would carrying.”  
  
“Did you like carrying?” Jared asks, putting a hand over his slightly rounded stomach.   
  
“Yeah,” Steve says.  “It made me feel closer to my alpha, and I like the way he looks at me even now, knowing I carried our pups.”  
  
“Did it make you sick, carrying?” Jared asks.  “I thought I was never going to stop throwing up.”  
  
“I got sick a lot off and on with my first, but my second was easy,” Steve answers.  “I never got sick with our daughter,” he smiles and then turns thoughtful.  
  
“What is it?” Jared asks.  
  
“Look, I’m not going to lie,” Steve begins.  “It might seem like no big deal right now, but it’s going to get uncomfortable.  You’re a big guy, and you could potentially carry a big pup.  Toward the end, your insides are going to be fighting for space and if the pup is active,” he pauses.  “Well, just make sure you’re always close to a bathroom because your bladder is going to be the biggest issue.  That being said, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”  
  
“Thank you, Steve, for sharing with me,” Jared says.  
  
“I wish the best of luck to you,” Steve says.  “And I’m only just a phone call away if you ever need something or have any questions.”  
  
“I appreciate it, man,” Jared smiles.  
  
“Anytime.”  
  
They all eat dinner together later that evening, and Jared feels good about this, about having a pup with Jensen.  Really, really good.

  
* * *

  
Today’s the day they find out the sex of their pup and Jensen is so excited that he’s making Jared anxious.  The Alpha woke him up with breakfast in bed and a blowjob, and then he pulled Jared into the shower and took him nice and slow under the warm spray.   
  
Not that Jared is complaining about Jensen being so focused on him.  It’s nice.  Very nice.  
Jensen’s also been exceptionally chatty.  He’s been going on and on about if their pup is a boy and if it’s a girl and all.  He swears up and down that he doesn’t have any gender preference, just that he wants a healthy pup, but Jared knows deep down that every alpha male secretly wants a strong alpha boy.  At least for their first child.   
  
Jared does believe Jensen when he says he’ll be happy no matter what, because Jensen’s always been the kind to buck the stereotype, but there’s still a tiny speck of doubt in Jared’s mind, making him think that even after all Jensen’s proclaimed, he still might be disappointed in anything other than an alpha boy.  So Jared, on the other hand, wants an alpha boy enough for both of them.  
  
He hasn’t really given it too much thought, why he wants that outcome, why he doubts Jensen, but if he thinks on it long enough, he knows it probably has to do with his father.  Like maybe if he births the child Gerald had wanted in his place, he’ll have proven his worth as a wolf and proven his father wrong.  Gerald always used to say that only strong betas gave birth to alphas.   
  
But he’s not that person any more.  He has to remember that.  He’s no longer in Gerald’s shadow, no longer under his control, and it amazes him that even after all he and Jensen have been through, his father can still fuck him up this much.   
  
He shakes his head to rid himself of bad memories and indoctrination and a child’s final plea for acceptance, and he looks to Jensen, his mate, and puts his father far from his mind.  It’s difficult, but Jensen’s looking back, concern and love so wide open for Jared to see, and he can’t help but smile softly and reach for Jensen’s hand, needing that contact.  
  
“What?” Jensen asks quietly in the nearly silent exam room.  
  
“Nothing.  I just--” Jared stops, takes a deep breath.  “I love you.  You’re amazing, you know that?”  
  
“I love you too, baby,” Jensen returns.  “Everything okay?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared nods.  “Just had to remind myself that we’re here right now, together, and that nothing else matters.”  
  
“Something to do with your father?” Jensen asks, somehow knowing like he always does.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared admits.   
  
“Is this about our pup?” Jensen presses, scooting his chair closer and pursing his lips together when Jared nods again.  “Jared, I love you, and I love our pup  _because_  it’s half you.  And I will be beside myself no matter what.”  
  
“You sure?” Jared asks.  “What if it’s a girl?”  
  
“Then we’ll paint the nursery pink,” Jensen answers.  
  
“Beta?”  
  
“Doesn’t matter.”  
  
“Omega?”  
  
“I’ll still love you both,” Jensen states firmly.  “I’m not lying when I say I have no preference.  I know a lot of alphas out there do, and that they see anything other than alpha sons as a failure, but not me.  I couldn’t care less about the gender or status, and I’ll keep saying it until you believe me too.”  
  
“I do,” Jared says.  
  
“You sure?” Jensen echoes Jared’s earlier question.  
  
“I am,” Jared smiles.  
  
“And what about you?” Jensen asks.  “Do you have any preference?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Jared shrugs.  “I used to think that I needed a son, an alpha son, and that he’d make what I am right to my father, but that was before you, before I knew I could carry my own, and it’s just… it was a horrible thing for my father to make me believe.  But now, I just want what you want: a healthy pup.”  
  
“I’m glad,” Jensen says.  “And we’ll do right by our pup.”  
  
“I know,” Jared acknowledges with a small smile.  
  
“But now that we’re on the subject, I really would like to have a boy and a girl,” Jensen tosses out there.  “If you’ll even let me touch you again after this.”  
  
At that, Jared laughs and Jensen cracks a grin.  
  
“I think I’d like that too,” Jared agrees.  “And you  _would_  like to have a little girl you could spoil.”  
  
“Of course,” Jensen says, beaming unrepentantly.  
  
A knock sounds then and Dr. Rhodes slips into the room.  
  
“Alpha, Beta,” she greets them respectfully before moving to her cart with her clipboard.  “How are we feeling?”  
  
“Great,” Jared smiles.  “And very excited to see our pup.”  
  
“I bet you are!” she grins.  “Before we do that, we need to take care of some business.”  
  
“What is it?” Jensen asks, suddenly alert and on edge.  “Is everything alright?  Is Jared in danger?”  
  
“No!  Nothing like that,” Dr. Rhodes assures them.  “His vitals and lab work are perfect.  We just need to go over some new physical and dietary limitations.”  
  
“So soon?” Jared whines.  “I’m not that big, am I?”  
  
“You’re just at a developmental point that usually makes or breaks male carriers,” Dr. Rhodes says.  “At this point, we need to play it safe and make sure we don’t give your body any reason at all to miscarry.”  
  
“Okay.  I’m listening,” Jared sighs as Jensen sits rigidly next to him.  
  
“We’re going to start you on a salt and fat restriction,” Dr. Rhodes says.  “That means no more fast food or anything greasy.  I also want you to continue exercising, but nothing strenuous, just some walking, maybe a little stretching or some yoga, but no hard cardio or weightlifting.  Actually, don’t even try to pick up anything that could be over ten pounds.”  
  
Jared makes a face, but agrees anyway.  
  
“Also, try to avoid any outside sources of stress,” she advises.  “That includes your mate.”  
  
“Whatever he needs,” Jensen says, holding his hands up in surrender.  
  
“Other than that, I don’t see any issues with you,” she says.  “Have you been feeling alright?  No nausea?”  
  
“None in weeks,” Jared replies happily.   
  
“Felt any movement yet?” Dr. Rhodes asks.   
  
“Is it that time already?” Jared asks, wracking his brain for any time he could have mistaken the baby moving for gas or something and coming up blank.  
  
“You’re a little over four and a half months, so if it hasn’t happened yet, it will soon,” she assures him.  “You still want to find out the sex today?”  
“Yes,” Jared answers and Jensen nods.  
  
“Why don’t you pull up your shirt and lie back, and we’ll take a look at your pup then,” she offers cheerily.   
  
Jared does as requested and feels a spike of excitement from Jensen as Dr. Rhodes spreads the lubricant over his stomach.  A few seconds later, the ultrasound comes to life and Dr. Rhodes picks up the transducer and then places it on him, moving the device over his stomach as a tiny, quick heartbeat fills the room.  
  
“Sounds good, looks good,” Dr. Rhodes says as they all watch the black and white screen.  “Good size, great development.  And you’re well on your way to having a very healthy little boy!”  
  
“A boy?” Jared asks, leaning up on his elbows, studying the blurry image on the screen and trying to see what Dr. Rhodes sees.  
  
“Yep,” she says.  “See that?” she points to an odd-shaped spot on the monitor.  “That’s his little wiener.”  
  
Jared almost snorts at her choice of words, but Jensen, who hasn’t moved an inch since the announcement, catches his attention instead.  His mate is absolutely enraptured by the sight of their son on the little screen, eyes wide and mouth slack like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing.  
  
“You hear that, baby?” Jared asks, grabbing for Jensen’s hand a second time in their trip today.  “A boy.  A  _healthy_  boy.”  
  
Jensen blinks a few times and then manages to peel his gaze from the screen back to Jared.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen says, a slow, warm smile crossing his face that lights up the room.  “Perfect.  Just like you.”  
  
Dr. Rhodes prints them out several copies of the sonogram and gives them a few more pieces of advice that they agree to follow, but Jared knows that neither he nor Jensen are paying her any attention.  All they can think about is the picture of their son right in front of them, and all Jared can feel is warmth and happiness from his mate that makes him feel so strong and perfect for the first time in his life.

* * *

They decide not to tell anyone that they’re having a boy until they have the baby shower.  It’s kind of fun to keep it to themselves for now.  Both of them being such private people, it was an easy choice.   
  
Jensen’s been great in the days since the last appointment with Dr. Rhodes.  He’s been a calming, centering presence for Jared, getting him food in the middle of the night and buying yoga DVDs for Jared to work out with in a spare room Jensen cleared out and set up for him specifically for doing his yoga workouts.   Even Misha, surprisingly bendy and flexible Misha, has come over to help get him started on the yoga.  
  
It’s been nice.   
  
But it’s also been grating on Jared’s nerves.  His fuse has been getting shorter and shorter every day.  It’s not that he’s ungrateful for having such a doting, focused mate.  It’s just that things in his life have started changing so drastically and so quickly that he’s having a hard time adjusting.  The last thing he wants on top of all of that is for his mate to change as well.  He just wants the confident, self-assured, sexy as fuck and badass of a werewolf that he mated.  Not the ultra-sensitive, ultra-hovering wolf Jensen’s becoming.  And Jared especially dislikes how it makes him feel, like he can’t do anything without supervision or help.  It’s making him nuts.  
  
They’re eating dinner that Jensen’s cooked, which is awesome, and it’s delicious, which is a given because Jensen is a fantastic cook and it’s an original recipe from Steve.  And he’s so, so glad that his appetite has returned.  He has no complaints.  None whatsoever.  None he really wants to voice because Jensen’s trying so hard and it makes Jared feel like a shitty person to feel so irritated.  
  
Except...  
  
“Seriously, Jen,” Jared snaps, pushing his plate away as his mate attempts to pile more food on it.  “You try to get me to eat one more thing and I will kill you in your sleep.”  
  
“Dr. Rhodes said you’d need to eat more,” Jensen says.  
  
“Months ago.  And I  _have_ ,” Jared argues.  “But you’re going to make me fat, and I’m already pissed off about not being allowed near a bench press.”  
  
“You’re still allowed cardio,” Jensen offers.  
  
“Hardly!” Jared snorts.  “I used to run for miles, Jensen.  _Miles_.  And now I’m limited to thirty minute walks and fucking yoga.  Jesus, I’m sacrificing enough of my body as is it.  Don’t make it that much harder on me by pouring food down my throat.  I promise I’m plenty full, and if I get hungry again, I can feed myself.”  
  
Jensen backs off immediately, settling back in his seat, and Jared’s glad for the reprieve.  He knows Dr. Rhodes has ordered Jensen not to excite him or upset him and Jensen’s kind of taken it to mean that he needs to coddle Jared, but Jared’s had enough of this.  He’s not a child and he’s not fragile.  And most of all, he can take care of himself.  
  
“I’m sorry,” the Alpha says finally, glancing over to Jared with contrition in his eyes.  “I forget sometimes that you’re capable and that you need your independence.  It’s just kind of hard to remember all of that when the only thing I want to do is take care of your every need.”  
  
“I know, Jensen,” Jared sighs.  “It’s hard for me to let you, but I’ll work on it, because I know that there’ll be a day when I’m going to need you like that.”  
  
“And I’ll work on letting you be the judge of when that is,” Jensen agrees.  
  
“That’s all I ask,” Jared gives him a small smile to let his mate know he’s pleased with his promise.  
  
“And just so you know,” Jensen says, voice dropping to a tone Jared has begun to associate with carnal activities.  “I still think you’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”  
  
“You might want to hold your judgment for a few months,” Jared laughs.  “You could change your mind.”  
  
“Not possible,” Jensen denies, smirking and making Jared all hot for him at the dinner table.   
  
That night, Jensen takes him slow and hard and has Jared panting and moaning and gasping for him as he works him to orgasm on his cock.  As Jensen knots him, Jared comes between them, arching and crying out his mate’s name.  Jensen follows him with a grunt and then rolls them to their sides as they both come down, the Alpha’s hands moving so softly over Jared that he can’t help feeling worshiped, cherished, precious.   
  
He knows he’s not being fair to Jensen, getting so irritated with him, and he’s about to apologize but Jensen cuts him off with a finger pressed to his lips, green eyes searching out Jared’s in the dark of their room.  
  
“We were both in the wrong,” Jensen says and Jared feels warm tendrils of reassurance come through their bond.  “You were upset because I didn’t consider what things were like from your side.  I didn’t think about how my behavior made you feel and I made decisions without taking you into account.  I don’t want to be  _that_  alpha.”  
  
“And I didn’t consider that maybe you were going overboard because I didn’t let you know how much it upset me,” Jared offers.  “I guess we could have saved ourselves some stress by just talking instead.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen agrees and gives Jared a little smile.  “You know, when I was younger, I was convinced that being mated was such an easy thing.  I watched my parents move around each other and communicate with little looks.  It was such a complex dance that only they seemed to know.  They orbited each other so neatly that I never even once considered that they had to work for it.”  
  
“Ah, yes, the lies adults let children believe,” Jared says.  “My favorite is the one about the pimples.  Excuse me, but I believe I’m in my twenties and just had one last week.”  
  
“I’m thirty and still get them,” Jensen laughs.   
  
“We’ll figure things out, Jen,” Jared says, returning to their more serious topic of conversation.  “I know you and I love you and we’re going to hit some rough patches and we’re going to have some misunderstandings and things are going to get all mixed up, but one day you’ll look at me and we’ll just know.  And then we’ll be just as easy.  We’ll have our own little dance and our own little way of communicating with glances and touches and we’ll know that all of the hard work we put in was worth it.”  
  
“I know it’s worth it right now,” Jensen says.  
  
“Me too,” Jared agrees and Jensen kisses him.

  
* * *

  
Another week goes by without incident.  They’re communicating better and Jensen is starting to relax and has only gone into helicopter mode once.  Jared thinks it’s going to make him a great, if not utterly terrifying parent, but he’s not too keen on being the subject of such intense hovering.     
  
Misha has come by to do yoga with him a few more times, and he just finished up another workout with the beta that made him more tired than before.  Jared’s not too sure if it’s because he’s further along or if Misha secretly pushed him harder than he’s been pushing him previously.   
  
Jared’s been vegging out since Misha left, flipping through Netflix and having some digital ADD.  He can’t seem to watch a show for more than five minutes without getting bored and/or crying like a weirdo over the most ridiculous things.  He’s actually started a list of show and movies that make him tear up and he’s decided he’s going to stay well away from them until the baby arrives.   
  
He’s just glad he doesn’t watch regular TV.  He’s heard that commercials can be dangerous for water works as well.  
  
He’s just settled on a nice, safe Bruce Willis action movie (Die Hard,  _NOT_ Armageddon,  _never_  fucking Armageddon.  Jesus fuck.) when his phone rings.  One glance is enough to know it’s Jensen, his handsome face taking up the screen of Jared’s phone.  
  
“Hey,” Jared greets his mate when he answers.  
  
“Hey,” Jensen echoes, voice calming him as it comes through the phone.  
  
“I’m headed home a bit early.  Is there anything you need me to get on the way?” Jensen offers.  
  
“Food,” Jared answers, staring at their dwindling supply of snacks that he’s been steadily demolishing over the last couple of days, his appetite returning almost with a vengeance.  It’s more than time for another outing to the grocery store, but if Jensen’s offering to bring something home, then Jared’s game.  “I’m starving.”  
  
“I can tell,” Jensen chuckles and Jared knows they both agree that it’s about time he started getting piggy.  “What are you in the mood for?”  
  
“Whataburger,” Jared responds quickly.  
  
“No,” Jensen says.  “Too greasy.  Pick something else.”  
  
“ _Jensen_ ,” Jared whines.  “I’ve been  _so_ good.  Come on, I’ll blow you for a burger.  What’s one going to hurt?”  
  
“Dr. Rhodes said  _no_ ,” Jensen reminds him.  “If she says you can have one the next time we go in, then I’ll get you a burger.  But not a moment sooner.”  
  
“Fine,” Jared grumbles.  “Then I want steak.  A big one.”  
  
“Okay,” Jensen agrees.  “Where and what?”  
  
“Saltgrass,” Jared says.   
  
“Okay, hang on.  Let me get something to write on,” Jensen says, the sound of rustling paper coming through the phone.  “Go for it.”  
  
“I want a porterhouse, rare,” Jared begins.  “With grilled shrimp and two baked potatoes.  Loaded.”  
  
“ _Not_ loaded,” Jensen counters swiftly.  
  
“Fine,” Jared huffs.  “Butter?”  
  
“You can have a little butter, but no cheese,” Jensen states.  
  
“Good enough,” Jared agrees.  “Oh, and spinach and artichoke dip with extra salsa and chips.”  
  
“Anything else?” Jensen asks.  
  
“That should do it,” Jared says.  “Oh, wait!  Extra bread too.”  
  
“Got it,” Jensen laughs quietly and Jared smiles to himself.  “If you think of anything, call me,” he instructs.  “I should be home soon.  I’ll call this in and then be on my way.  Don’t get impatient again, okay?”  
  
“Okay,” Jared agrees.  It was  _one_   _time_  and he was too hungry to wait, but leave it to Jensen to never forget.  
  
“You been taking it easy?” Jensen questions.  
  
“As ordered,” Jared says, still mildly irritated that his exercise regimen has been nearly put to a stop.  
  
He’s adjusted to it, though, filling the void of work and exercise with bothering Jensen and eating.  And putting their Netflix subscription to good use. And yoga with Msiha.  
  
It’s taken some time for Jared to accept that he’d have to listen to his body and eat more.  It made him moody and snappish, knowing he was fighting a losing battle, but finally the hunger won out and he’s been eating Jensen out of house and home ever since, calling for crazy-big dinners from restaurants his alpha sometimes has to drive over an hour to get to all in the name of appeasing his temperamental, pregnant beta.  
  
Jensen sighs long-sufferingly on the other end of the line.  
  
“I just don’t want to take any chances,” he says, appealing to Jared’s fickle logical side.  “I don’t want to ignore Dr. Rhodes’s advice and lose one of you.  Especially you.  God, Jared, I just… I can’t do that, and if it makes you think I’m a tyrant or whatever for enforcing her--”  
  
“I know, baby,” Jared stops Jensen as he feels his mate’s anxiety rise through their bond.  “And I’m following her advice to the letter.  I know how much you worry about me, and even though I whine and try to get you to let me cheat, I’m careful and I wouldn’t do anything that would make you upset or put me or the baby in danger.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen concedes.  “And thanks, Jay.  I needed to hear that.”  
  
“So you’ll be home soon?” Jared asks as his stomach growls.  “I wasn’t kidding when I said I was hungry.”  
  
“I’ll be home within an hour,” Jensen promises him with a chuckle.  
  
“Okay, see you then,” Jared agrees then they disconnect.  
  
He goes back to his movie while he waits for Jensen to come home.  
  
Which doesn’t take very long, at least not as long as Jared had thought.  When Jensen gets home, he immediately sets up dinner for them, getting all of Jared’s food out and ready to go before even touching his own.  Jared’s eternally grateful for that and dives in without hesitation when Jensen gives him the go-ahead.  
  
“Do you know the looks I got from the hostess for your meal alone?” Jensen asks as he sits down across from Jared, who is working on his steak, his baked potatoes and the bread round having been demolished first.  “I think she thought I was having a party until her manager told her I was the Dallas Alpha.  It still surprises me that humans can’t sense me quite like wolves can.”  
  
“What’d she say after?” Jared asks, stuffing a forkful of his porterhouse into his mouth and moaning happily at the juicy, metallic flavor.   
  
“She went all glassy-eyed like most humans,” Jensen says dismissively, although Jared begs to differ.  It’s not every day that an average human finds themselves face to face with the most powerful werewolf in their territory.  “But the manager congratulated me on my fine beta and expressed his joy about us expecting.”  
  
“Wolf?”  
  
“Omega,” Jensen says.  
  
“Explains why he was such a kiss-ass,” Jared snorts.  “And why he was probably getting all wet in his pants in your presence.”  
  
“Maybe,” Jensen says.  “I got out pretty quick.  It’s one thing for a human to get all cow-eyed over me.  It’s another for one of my own Pack to lust after me when he knows I’m mated, married, and my beta is with pup.”  
  
“ _And_  I could tear him limb from limb,” Jared reminds him happily.  
  
“And there’s that,” Jensen agrees.  “I think he was more excited to have me in his restaurant than anything else.”  
  
“I don’t blame him.” Jared says.  “It’s a high compliment, the Alpha coming to your business.”  
  
“ _For you_ ,” Jensen says.  “I’d go anywhere to get you what you need.”  
  
“I know,” Jared smiles across the table, scooping some rice into his mouth.  Carb loading is so delicious.  
  
“How’s your porterhouse?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Perfect,” Jared grins.  “What’d you get?  A strip?”  
  
“Yep,” Jensen answers with a smile as Jared continues to tear through his meal like it might get up and leave.  
  
Jensen’s eyes stay on him for the entire meal, his fascination with Jared’s increased appetite and ability to put away massive amounts of food making Jared feel weirdly proud.  He puts his fork down after he takes his last bite of steak and admires his work as he rubs his full stomach, content and happy.  
  
He considers digging into the dip Jensen brought home, but at the lift of his mate’s eyebrow, he decides to save it for later and gets up to take care of his dishes.  Jensen follows him a moment later, moving Jared out of the way and rinsing their plates off before putting them into the dishwasher.  Jared sighs and leans against the counter as he waits for Jensen to finish.  
  
“I  _can_  do the dishes,” Jared comments as Jensen dries his hands.  
  
“So can I,” Jensen counters.  “Let me help out, okay?  Please don’t fight me on that tonight.”  
  
“As long as you aren’t doing everything,” Jared agrees.  This is a conversation they have on a near-weekly basis it seems.  “You’ve got to let me do some stuff around here too.”  
  
“I will,” Jensen says.  
  
“Promise?” Jared asks.  
  
“I promise,” Jensen acquiesces.  “As long as you don’t fight me on it when it gets to the point that you  _should_  let me do everything.”  
  
“That’s a depressing thought,” Jared frowns.  
  
“But it’s months away,” Jensen points out.  
  
“I’m really starting to show, Jen,” Jared says.  “And both Steve and Dr. Rhodes agree that I have the possibility of carrying a big pup.  I could be useless for weeks.”  
  
“You will never be useless,” Jensen argues.  “No matter how pregnant you are.”  
  
“It’s just hard, you know?” Jared admits.  “I feel a bit like some delicate little flower with how everyone’s treating me.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen says.  “But it’s only temporary.”  
  
Jared nods in agreement, still not that pleased with everyone coddling him so much.  Jensen splays a hand over Jared’s softer stomach and gives him a small smile that Jared can’t help but return as he slides his hands over Jensen’s.  
  
“We can still have sex,” Jared reminds him with a heated look.  
  
“Yes, we can,” Jensen acknowledges.  
  
“I want you,” Jared states outright.  “All the fucking time.”  
  
“Believe me, I know,” Jensen’s eyes darken a bit.  “It’s getting harder and harder to focus at work because of the constant hard-ons I get from you.  And god help me if I smell a burger.”  
  
“Burgers make you hard?” Jared raises an eyebrow.  
  
“Because you’re lusting after them so much,” Jensen says.  “But nothing gets me hard like the thought of you, knowing you’re mine in every way.  And  _this_  makes me feel things I never knew were possible,” he says as he strokes Jared’s stomach.  “I love you, Jared.  So much.”  
  
“Love you too,” Jared smiles softly.  “Bed?”  
  
“Bed?” Jensen asks.  
  
“I did say I’d blow you,” Jared reminds him.  
  
“For a burger,” Jensen chuckles quietly.  “But you were good, so how about I blow you instead?”  
  
“As long as you fuck me too,” Jared agrees, grinning as a shiver runs over Jensen and his tender reverence turns to lust.  
  
“Bed.  Now,” Jensen orders, voice rough and low and Jared smiles to himself as he turns and leads his alpha down the hallway to their bedroom.  
  
Jensen lays him down gently, taking care as he strips Jared, slowly and steadily baring him as he waits for his alpha to join him in the middle of their large bed.  Jensen is naked and over him moments later, sealing their mouths together as Jared’s hands go over Jensen’s body, touching as much of the Alpha’s hot skin as he can.  
  
He whimpers when Jensen moves from his mouth and down his jaw, missing kissing him already.  Jensen noses his head to the side and licks a stripe up his neck, letting out a low and happy sound that goes straight to Jared’s dick.  He whines and bucks against Jensen, looking for friction, and the Alpha pins him down, holding him still as he presses an open-mouthed kiss to the mating mark he left on Jared the night they came together.  
  
At the first touch from his alpha, Jared feels like he’s been hit by lightning and like he’s coming out of his skin all at once.  His mark is just as sensitive as ever and Jensen closes his mouth over it and sucks, tonguing the ridges of the scar that would fit his teeth perfectly.  Jared bucks up hard as he digs his fingertips into Jensen hard enough to bruise, hanging on to his alpha like he’ll die if he lets go.  
  
Jensen lets up and Jared calms down, loosening his hold as Jensen works lower, mouth and teeth and tongue teasing across Jared’s skin as he hums contentedly and winds Jared tighter and higher.  Jared knows Jensen has an oral fixation.  His alpha loves to taste his skin, says he tastes delicious and receptive, but that it’s changed, sweetened and softened since he became pregnant.  He sometimes wakes up to Jensen licking his neck and back and shoulders, whatever he can reach, completely addicted.  Jared wonders every now and then if his scent, his taste will change again after their pup is born and if Jensen will be just as obsessed with that one as well.  
  
He thinks his mate probably will.  
  
Jared’s brought back to the present by Jensen’s tongue dipping into his belly button interspersed with licks and kisses showered all over the slight pooch of his belly.  Jared reaches down and runs his fingers through Jensen’s hair affectionately, petting him and scratching his scalp as he catches Jensen’s eyes.  
  
Jensen holds the eye contact and moves lower, dipping his head to lick a stripe up the underside of Jared’s cock.  Jared groans at the wet slide of Jensen’s tongue and arches back, pushing himself toward Jensen’s hot mouth.  It’s not often they slow down for foreplay, both of them usually too keyed up and aching for each other to take their time.  But when they do, Jensen seems to always make it his goal to drive Jared crazy.  
  
Jared moans loud when Jensen swallows him down, the heat of his mouth and the gentle suction bringing him to full hardness as he moves Jared in and out.  When Jensen’s got him used to his steady rhythm, Jared feels him shift and then he slides a finger down to Jared’s ass and inside.  
  
“God, you’re so wet,” Jensen comments, voice gravelly and low as he pulls off of Jared’s dick.  
  
“Another,” Jared gasps, pushing down onto Jensen’s hand, groaning and hissing and writhing as Jensen pushes a second finger in.  
  
“Like that?” Jensen asks, fucking his fingers into Jared, twisting and scissoring them as he prepares Jared to take his cock.  
  
“Yes,” Jared responds, aching for his alpha now, wanting,  _needing_  his knot.  
  
“You love this,” Jensen says.  “You love having me in you.  God, it’s like you’ll go crazy if you don’t get fucked.  Is that it?  Do you need me?  Do you need my cock, Jared?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared moans, arching down and squeezing around Jensen’s fingers.  “Need your knot.”  
  
“You’ll get it,” Jensen assures him with a wet kiss to his stomach.  “I will always give my mate what he needs.”  
  
Jared almost cries as Jensen pulls his fingers out, but when they’re replaced by the blunt head of Jensen’s cock, he settles, holding still and waiting for his alpha to take him.  He gets the first vestiges of relief when Jensen breaches him, head popping through slow and with a little bit of force, then it’s an easy glide as Jensen sinks in to the hilt, bottoming out with a deep groan that Jared echoes, content to be joined with his alpha again.  
  
He wraps his legs around Jensen as the Alpha begins to move with slow, steady thrusts, pulling back and then sliding in deep and strong.  Jared moans and whimpers, hands sliding across Jensen’s back and ass as he makes love to Jared.  
  
“Love you,” Jensen whispers against Jared’s lips as he watches Jared submit to the pleasure his mate is giving him, that  _only_  his mate can give him.  
  
“Love you,” Jared echoes, closing the gap between them and kissing Jensen.  
  
Jensen breaks from Jared’s mouth a moment later, dropping his face to Jared’s neck, panting heavily as he fists Jared’s hair in one hand and the sheets in the other.  Jared moans at the sting in his scalp, tilting back with the tight hold Jensen has, and then pushing his hips back down on Jensen’s cock as he feels his mate’s knot grow.  
  
And he wants it, is starving for that knot.  Jensen growls, always losing his control when he knots Jared, and Jared relishes it, doesn’t think there’s anything hotter than Jensen giving in to the wolf as he knots Jared.  He goes rigid as Jensen strokes into his prostate, knot edging closer and threatening to push through, and then it’s in him.  Jensen’s knot is large and presses him wider as he opens for it, gasping Jensen’s name, and then he comes, clenching around the knot and Jensen’s dick as he shoots his release over his stomach and halfway up his chest.  
  
Jensen grunts and then stiffens as he swells and comes deep inside Jared, knot holding them together as he pumps his seed deep into his beta.  Jared goes lax in Jensen’s arms, his dick dribbling out what he has left as he feels a second, more subtle orgasm overtake him, one of the more pleasurable byproducts of his pregnancy.  
  
When Jared comes down, Jensen’s licking and nuzzling his neck, hips moving gently as he continues to fill Jared.  He smiles at the thought and threads the fingers of one hand through his alpha’s hair, massaging his scalp as he marks Jared up some more.  He loves carrying his mate’s marks.  They remind him of Jensen when he’s not home.  
  
Then an idea occurs to Jared and he takes his free hand, wiping up his come and spreading it across Jensen’s stomach, rubbing at it until it disappears into Jensen’s skin, smiling as the milky white of his release vanishes.  
  
“What was that for?” Jensen asks, voice fucked out and deep as he looks at Jared in affectionate amusement.  
  
“Marking you,” Jared answers, knowing his scent will stay on his mate for days.  Even if he takes a shower and wears cologne, other wolves will know.  
  
“Oh?” Jensen raises an eyebrow, but a smile pulls at his lips.  
  
“So no omega hussies will go sniffing after you,” Jared says.  “They’ll be able to smell me all over you now.”  
  
“You know you have nothing to worry about,” Jensen smirks indulgently.  
  
“Not worried about you,” Jared states.  “I know you’d never, but I don’t like others looking at what’s mine.”  
  
“I knew you had a possessive streak,” Jensen grins outright and then presses a kiss to Jared’s temple.  “If it’s what you want, I’ll let you mark me as often as you like.”  
  
“You think it’s silly,” Jared questions.  
  
“I think it’s sweet,” Jensen corrects him.  “And a little hot.”  
  
“Really?” Jared asks, smiling as Jensen nods.  
  
“If I’m going to wear any wolf’s mark, it’d be yours,” Jensen responds.  “I’d be proud to have every wolf I meet know I belong to you.”

* * *

Their next check up with Dr. Rhodes is the last of his second trimester appointments and it’s fairly uneventful, much to Jared’s relief.  Their baby is still very healthy and Jared is as well.  They discuss movement (which Jared still hasn’t felt, much to his disappointment) and the heartbeat (which Jared still can’t hear, but Jensen insists gets stronger every day), and then Dr. Rhodes gives them a tube of cream and talks about things like stretch marks that has Jared grabbing the tube and eliciting a promise from Jensen to put it on him every night, to which Jensen happily agrees.  
  
It’s a few nights later and Jensen’s looking at himself in the bathroom mirror long enough to make Jared curious.  
  
“What are you doing in there?” Jared asks from his spot on the bed.   
  
“Looking at myself,” Jensen answers and Jared rolls his eyes even though his mate isn’t looking.  
  
“I can see that,” Jared responds.  “But  _why_  are you looking at yourself?  You look like there’s something wrong.”  
  
“I think I’ve been gaining a little weight,” Jensen says, making a face as he pats his stomach.  “Maybe it’s sympathetic weight gain?”  
  
“Oh fuck you,” Jared says with a half-smile.  “I’m the one with stretch marks here.”  
  
It’s not Jared’s fault that Jensen just has to eat every time Jared does.  And Jared eats  _a lot_ these days.  
  
“You’d better not,” Jensen says.  “Do I need to rub some more of that belly cream on you?”  
  
“You sure do like doing that, don’t you?” Jared chuckles.  
  
“I take my job very seriously,” Jensen grins.  “Don’t even act like you don’t like it too.”  
  
“All right, fine.  You win,” Jared smiles back.  “Get the stuff.”  
  
Jared barely has enough time to get comfortable in bed before Jensen is back with the tube of cream, setting it on the nightstand before situating himself next to Jared.  
  
“You’re beautiful, you know?” Jensen says, gliding a hand over the tight skin of Jared’s belly.   
  
“I’m feeling less attractive each day,” Jared says and pulls a face.  He knows Jensen’s absolutely fascinated with his pregnancy, insisting he’s got the glow everyone talks about and that he finds  
  
Jared just as gorgeous as ever, but Jared just thinks he’s looks tired and like he’s smuggling melons under his shirt.  He just doesn’t see the appeal, but he’s not going to stop Jensen.  “But you may continue.  I like the part where you compliment me.”  
  
“I worship you,” Jensen says, nuzzling Jared’s ear and pressing a kiss to his throat that makes Jared feel more than just a little warm and tingly.  
  
But then Jensen pulls back and reaches for the cream, and Jared lays and waits, watching Jensen warm up a handful of the cream between his palms, making sure it’s not too cold for his mate, seeing to Jared’s comfort before he places his hands over Jared’s stomach and begins to work the cream in with broad, smooth strokes.  
  
“Mmm, that feels  _so_  nice,” Jared says, closing his eyes and tipping his head back on the pillows, relaxing under his Alpha’s touch, feeling everything melt away as Jensen takes care of him.  
It takes no time at all for Jared to drift to sleep under Jensen’s gentle touch.  
  
When Jared wakes the next morning, it’s to Jensen curled gently around his back, his arm a hot stripe across his stomach.  Jared loves waking up like this, loves the feeling of his mate wrapped around him, holding him so sweetly.   
  
And that’s when he feels it.  
  
At first, he’s not sure what’s going on.  He’s not sure if it’s his gut moving, or if he’s got bubble gut and is hungry, or if he’s about to throw up.  But when puts a hand on the swell of his stomach, there’s no mistaking the pressure he feels pushing back.  
  
“Jensen!” Jared says quick and sharp, grabbing hold of the alpha’s wrists and pressing his hand to where he felt it.  
  
“Huh?” Jensen asks groggily, shifting behind Jared and then stilling when he feels what Jared felt.  “Is… is that?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared replies with a huge grin.  “He’s kicking.  I can feel it.  _We_  can feel it.”   
  
“Jay,” Jensen says softly, leaning over him and pressing his ear to the side of Jared’s stomach.  “Hey, little guy,” he says and Jared can feel him smiling against his stomach as the kicking intensifies at the sound of Jensen voice.  “Think he knows me?”  
  
“Definitely,” Jared answers.  There’s no doubt in his mind that their son already knows who his father and Alpha is.   
  
“He’s so strong,” Jensen says.  “What’s it feel like?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Jared shrugs.  “Kind of weird.  A bit like indigestion, a bit like being tickled from the inside.  It’s hard to describe, but I think I might have been feeling him move before now, but I just didn’t know what it was.”  
  
“It’s amazing, Jared,” Jensen states, moving up and kissing Jared as he turns to lay on his back.  “You’re amazing.”  
  
Jared blushes and moves his hand over Jensen’s, both of them smiling and blissfully happy.

* * *

  
They’re out at the grocery store right after the seventh month check up, stocking up on things Jared wants to eat and is allowed to eat as well.  Dr. Rhodes said they’d have to have more frequent check ups now that they’re on the home stretch.  Jared’s not enthusiastic about that, but he knows it’s in their best interest to at least keep on top of things, especially since this is their first pup and neither of them have any idea what they’re doing.   
  
Jared and Jensen split up halfway into the shopping trip, Jensen going to the meat section with the cart while Jared peruses the produce, dropping things off when he finds something he likes.  He’s been talking to their son the whole while as well, smiling to himself and patting his stomach when the tickling feeling comes back.  It’s been happening more and more frequently, and now that Jared knows what to look for, he’s noticed that their son is quite the active little pup.  
  
Jared hits the cereal aisle and frowns a little when he notices a woman who’s been following him from aisle to aisle for a good twenty minutes now.  He’d hoped she’d lost interest or that he’d just been paranoid, but he’s not so sure anymore.  It’s pretty ridiculous and more than obvious what she’s doing, and it irritates him almost as much as the alphas that used to proposition him.  
  
Jared knows that if he scents the air, two things will happen.  First, he’ll find out what he already knows; the woman following him is a beta.  He’s dealt with dominant beta females that seek out submissive beta males, mates they can control, before.  These females don’t get any pleasure from submitting to alphas or caring for built-to-please omegas.  They want a taste of alpha power and having a beta male underfoot is what really gets their rocks off.  
  
The second thing that will happen is the beta female will take him scenting her as permission to approach and he does  _not_  want to deal with that.  Especially because any refusal of her advances on his part will only be seen as a challenge rather than the dismissal it would be.  And Jared’s not even sure if being Pack Beta will put her off.  It  _should_ , but there’s no sense in taking chances.  
  
He makes the mistake of catching her eyes in passing a moment later and that sets her moving in his direction.  _Shit_.  He’s not supposed to get upset or excited, and he’s definitely not allowed to shift, so he quickly ducks into another aisle, hoping to lose her.  But he’s not that lucky.  Not today.  She appears right behind him, scenting him hard and probably thinking he’s just playing hard to get.  
  
This is worse than an omega getting wet and slobbering themselves over Jensen.  This beta could actually do harm to him.  And his pup.  He’s got to do something, and he decides to make a stand and stops cold, her small, warm body slamming into his back a second later.  
  
“Look,” he says sternly as he turns around and pushes her back.  “I’m really flattered, but not interested.”  
  
“I saw you look at me all coy,” she counters, licking her lips and eyeing him with way too much interest.  “I smelled the change in your scent.  You’re excited.”  
  
“I’m  _pissed_ ,” he argues, feeling his hackles rise and his eyes flash gold.  “And you need to leave me alone.”  
  
“If you really wanted that, then you wouldn’t have played with me,” she says trying to push closer against his firm hold.  
  
“Do you even know who I am?” Jared almost laughs.  “Do you have any idea who my mate is?”  
  
“Should I?” she asks, not looking the least bit contrite or puzzled.  “You’re not the first mated beta who’s caught my eye.”  
  
“But he’ll be the last if you don’t back away from my mate,” Jensen’s voice comes from behind Jared, full of authority and command and Jared’s almost delirious with relief.  
  
He has to fight a smile as the beta female’s face goes pale and frightened and she takes a few steps back from them.  Jensen comes to stand next to Jared and puts a hand on his back, just a small moment of contact to say _hello_  and to get their balance with each other.  
  
And then Jensen’s all alpha, his presence suddenly taking up the whole aisle and making the wolf in front of them shift around uncomfortably, going to her knees and diverting her eyes in respect because Jensen’s not just  _an_ alpha, he’s  _the_ Alpha, and even the most headstrong alphas defer to him.  This beta is no exception.  
  
“Do you know who I am?” Jensen demands, voice hard as steel and eyes glowing bright green with the power of his wolf side.  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” she replies quietly.  
  
“Did you know that the man you were pursuing against his wishes is my mate?  The Beta of this Pack?” he pushes.  
  
“I did not,” she admits.  “I am new to this Pack and did not recognize your scent on him.”  
  
“But you knew he was mated,” Jensen says with a hard edge.  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” she confesses, shaking visibly as she bares her neck to Jensen in total submission.  
  
“Where are you from?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Florida, Alpha,” she answers.   
  
“Well, we do things differently here and if you’re going to stay in Dallas, you’re going to follow our laws,” Jensen states.  “We protect the sanctity of a mating in this Pack and we respect the wishes of the pursued.  If a wolf  _or_ a human says  _no_ , you  _back down,_ mated or not.  Am I clear?”  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” she says, still trembling.  
  
“You made a terrible mistake, coming after my mate,” Jensen snarls, anger taking him over.  Jared steps into him quickly and touches him, trying to soothe his volatile mood and bring him back.  “If I so much as  _hear_  of an incident like this again, I will have you banished from the state and put a bounty on your head should you return.  Do you understand?”  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” she replies, relief washing over her as she realizes Jensen is not going to rip out her throat for her transgression.  “Thank you for your mercy, Alpha.”  
  
“Don’t make me regret it,” he warns.  “And get out of my sight.  Don’t let me catch you near my mate again.”  
  
Jared’s eyes go to Jensen as the beta female beats a hasty retreat, probably considering it a good idea to make herself scarce in case Jensen changes his mind about ending her.  But Jared’s not too concerned with some random beta now that he has eyes on Jensen.  His mate is glorious.  He’s standing tall and imposing and Jared knows that even the humans can sense him in his current mood and know to keep their distance.  
  
And it’s really hot.  It may be Jensen, it may be the hormones fucking with him, but he’s about ready to beg his mate to take him right in the middle of the canned goods aisle.  Jensen doesn’t seem to miss the shift in Jared and responds by turning bright green eyes on him and scenting Jared.  He smiles, slow and predatory, and Jared’s knees go a bit wobbly at the sight.  Oh yeah, it’s  _on_.  
  
“Car,” Jensen says, digging into his pockets and holding out his keys for Jared.  “Back seat.  Be ready.”  
  
Jared doesn’t even bat an eye, just takes the keys and all but runs to the parking lot.  He locates Jensen’s car quickly and unlocks it, scrambling into the back seat and shutting himself in.  His heart is pounding in his chest with excitement and his stomach clenches as heat pools in his belly.  He nearly tears his shirt off as he kicks his shoes and socks into the floorboard, and next to go are his pants and boxers, his hard cock curving up against his stomach as it’s freed.  
  
He melts back into the buttery leather seat, cool against his flushed skin, and slides down, lifting his hips up as he braces his feet on the backs of the front seats.  He’s bent tight, Jensen’s backseat larger than most, though still not big enough to be completely comfortable for someone his size  _and_ condition, but he’s still flexible (thanks to Misha and the yoga) and it puts him in the perfect position to finger himself.  
  
Jared sucks two fingers into his mouth, getting them sloppy and slick and then slipping them down behind his balls to his hole.  He’s already wet and takes both fingers easily.  He moans and rubs his other hand over his chest, getting into the steady in and out of his fingers as he imagines all of the things Jensen might do to him.  
  
His eyes flutter open and he almost startles at the sight of Jensen braced over the hood of the car, staring at him through the windshield.  His expression is dark, lustful, and Jared grins, making a show of it as he arches into his hand, riding his fingers like he would Jensen’s cock.  He tosses his head back and gives a tiny moan, and when he opens his eyes again Jensen is gone.  
  
Then the back door opens and Jensen’s crowding himself inside next to Jared, hastily unbuckling his belt and getting his pants open and shoved down past his hips.  Jared bites his lip and moans at the sight of Jensen’s hard and leaking cock, flushed and full and ready for him.  
  
“You,” Jensen pants, leaning over and licking a stripe up Jared’s neck, teeth scraping over his ear as he slides his hand down to join Jared’s at his hole.  
  
He gasps and swears as Jensen pushes his fingers in alongside Jared’s, the stretch a pleasurable sensation, and Jared’s cock starts to weep precome every time Jensen strokes over his prostate.  
  
“You are so hot,” Jensen breathes into his skin.  “Do you know how badly I wanted to claim you in front of everyone in that store?”  
  
“Wanted you to,” Jared responds.  “It made me so hard watching you put that beta in her place.”  
  
“No one is allowed to touch you but me,” Jensen growls and it’s more hot and possessive than anything else.  “I wanted to tear her apart for even thinking she could have you.”  
  
“I’m yours,” Jared assures him.  “Only yours.”  
  
“You ready for me, Jared?” Jensen asks, pulling his fingers out and inhaling Jared’s scent on them, pupils widening as Jared watches him.  “You smell ready.”  
  
“Fuck,” Jared groans, quivering in anticipation.  
  
“On your knees,” Jensen orders softly.  
  
Jared complies immediately, maneuvering himself around the seat, mindful of his stomach and of Jensen as he braces himself against the door, presenting his ass to the Alpha.  
  
“So beautiful,” Jensen whispers, hands moving gently over Jared’s hips as he gets to his knees and lines up.  
  
Both of them gasp and moan as Jensen sinks into him, the expensive fabric of his slacks caressing the backs of Jared’s thighs as the Alpha bottoms out.  It’s hot and dirty, Jared thinks, as he realizes Jensen’s still fully dressed in his nice clothes while Jared is completely naked.  And the fact that they’re getting it on in the back of Jensen’s pricey spaceship car  _in_ _public_  turns him on more than he expected.  
  
Jensen pulls back and then thrusts back in, Jared shivering as his alpha’s cock strokes his insides, each push of Jensen’s hips bringing him closer and closer to completion.  Jared digs his fingers into the door, gripping it hard as Jensen picks up the pace.  
  
The sound of skin slapping and sliding, their shuddered breaths, and soft grunts and moans fill the car, and if Jared breathes deeply enough, he can smell their scents mingling as they both begin to work up a sweat.  Jared bites his lip and moans as Jensen wraps a hand around him and strokes him fast and tight.  Jared has been so close to coming for so long that it doesn’t take very long before he’s crying out and tightening around Jensen as he comes all over the leather seat and his alpha’s hand.  
  
Jensen gives a handful more sharp thrusts and then pulls out before knotting and Jared whines in protest, making to turn around, but Jensen’s firm hand on his shoulder keeps him in place.  Seconds later warm, wet splashes hit his back and Jensen groans in satisfaction as he comes all over Jared.  
  
It’s different, and just a little bit anticlimactic.  Either of them coming without Jensen knotting Jared is something that doesn’t happen often, but as Jensen’s tongue follows, wet and soft on his skin as he licks his own release off of Jared, he can’t really argue much against it.  Jensen licks and sucks him clean and then gently turns Jared over, wiping the mess off of the seat and licking it from his hand as Jared leans back, sated and relaxed.  
  
“That was awesome,” Jared grins lazily, watching as Jensen tucks himself back in and rights his clothes again.  
  
“That was scary,” Jensen counters.  “When I felt you freak out, I nearly knocked down two displays and a little old lady to get to you.”  
  
“A little old lady, Jen?” Jared smiles despite himself.  “That wasn’t very polite.”  
  
“I just knew I had to get to you,” Jensen says unapologetically.  “And when I _heard_  her, when I saw her try to touch you…”  
  
“There’s only you,” Jared says, reaching out and taking Jensen’s hand.  “She wouldn’t have gotten much further than she did.”  
  
“You can’t get violent with people in your condition,” Jensen reminds him.  
  
“I’m Pack Beta,” Jared points out.  “I don’t  _need_  to get physical.  If you hadn’t shown up, someone would have stepped in.  This Pack has become increasingly protective of me since we announced our pup.  I have faith in our Pack.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen acknowledges, squeezing Jared’s hand and then bringing it up to his mouth for a soft kiss.  Jared knows he wants to trust his Pack, but Jensen’s still nervous when he doesn’t have eyes on Jared himself.  “So, want to go home?” he offers.  “I arranged for our groceries to be delivered and I plan on cooking something nice for you.”  
  
“You spoil me,” Jared grins.  
  
“I damn sure try,” Jensen replies.

  
* * *

  
They get home and Jared doesn’t even try to put away any of the groceries that managed to arrive at the exact same time.  Jared doesn’t question the timing of that either.  He does, however, suspect that the delivery boy had been ordered to wait in the lot and follow them once they left.   
  
Instead of helping Jensen, like he’d like to, Jared parks himself on the sofa and turns on Netflix while Jensen puts everything away and gets started on dinner.   
  
It’s not long before that tickling sensation is back in full force.  Jared puts a hand absentmindedly to his stomach and presses back a little before realizing he and his son seem to be playing a game.  He grins and tries to follow the little foot making strange shapes on his belly before getting up and padding into the kitchen to share it with Jensen.  
  
“Hey,” Jared says, grabbing Jensen’s hand.  “Come here.”  
  
“What’s up?” Jensen asks, turning from the cutting board as Jared puts his mate’s hand over the gentle swell of his stomach.  
  
Jared just smiles and watches Jensen’s face as the wiggling in his belly finally moves to Jensen’s hand.  The Alpha freezes, eyes going wide, and then he smiles broadly.  
  
“Well, hello there,” he says, stroking across where the baby is kicking.   
  
“He’s been doing it  _all_  day,” Jared laments, but still smiles.  “Believe me when I say that getting kicked in the bladder is definitely as uncomfortable as it sounds,” he laughs.  
  
“Buddy,” Jensen addresses Jared’s stomach, bending low.  “Stop playing soccer with your Daddy’s insides.  He needs those and it’s not very nice.”  
  
“Thanks,” Jared says as the baby settles at the sound of Jensen’s voice.  He pulls Jensen back up and kisses him softly.  “So, what’s for dinner?” he asks as they break apart.  
  
“Vegetarian pizza,” Jensen answers, going back to preparing their dinner.  “Doc’s orders,” he defends when Jared makes a face.  Everyone’s taking the fun out of eating these days.  
  
“I can’t have pepperoni?” Jared pouts.   
  
“No,” Jensen replies.  “And we’re going light on the cheese too.”  
  
“You’re taking out all of the good stuff,” Jared whines.  
  
“I have been assured by Danneel and Tom  _and_ Chris that it’s good,” Jensen states.  “It’s Steve’s recipe, if that helps any.”  
  
“Hell yeah, it does,” Jared agrees, changing his mind at the mention of the Beta’s name.  “Steve rocks at this stuff.”  They’ve been eating Steve’s recipes almost exclusively for weeks now and most of it is the best food Jared’s ever tasted.  Steve is an evil culinary genius.  
  
“I knew you’d come around,” Jensen smiles.  “Chris swears by this stuff.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared says.  “Steve is pretty awesome.”  
  
“So are you,” Jensen states, and if Jared’s not mistaken, the Alpha is flirting with him.  
  
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Jared teases.  
  
“It seemed to work pretty well for me last night,” Jensen counters.  
  
“You caught me in a moment of weakness,” Jared informs him.  “I won’t be had so easily again, but you can still try,” he says, wrapping his arms around Jensen’s waist and tucking in close to his alpha’s back.  
  
“Oh, I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Jensen laughs softly as he continues to chop vegetables.  “You’re pretty easy, no matter what.”  
  
And isn’t that the truth.  All Jensen has to do these days is  _breathe_  and Jared pops a boner.  
  
“That’s because you’re hot,” Jared says, kissing the back of Jensen’s neck.  “And my hormones are making me so horny I can hardly stand it.  I want you  _all_  the time.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen says, voice dropping.  
  
Jared feels a heat curl through his body, his dick filling and hardening as he presses into his alpha.  He grips Jensen harder and rubs himself against his mate, moaning as he catches the warm scent of Jensen’s arousal and he begins to wonder if he can convince him to postpone dinner in favor of fucking before they eat.  Again.  
  
“Do you want me?” he asks, voice rough and low.  
  
“Always,” Jensen answers.  “But we’re eating first,” he insists, gently removing Jared from his back.  
  
“Fine,” Jared agrees with a pout.  “But after?”  
  
“I’m all yours,” Jensen answers.  “I promise.”  
  
They eat dinner, and it is a raging success, and then Jensen lets Jared help with the clean up with very little fussing.  Jared’s so pleased that he pushes Jensen against the counter and kisses him hard and deep the moment the last dish is put away.  Jensen kisses him back, which leads to them stumbling into the bedroom together, which leads to both of them naked with Jared on his hands and knees and Jensen sliding into him from behind and taking him like he likes, like he did before they got pregnant.  And Jared _loves_  it.  
  
“Yeah, like that,” Jared pants, pushing back into Jensen with a groan as the Alpha mouths at his ear and the strong pulse in his neck.  
  
Jensen grunts in response and puts his hand on Jared’s neck, his thumb pushing his head around at the corner of his jaw so Jensen can suck Jared’s lips into a wet kiss.  And this is something he loves about his mate.  He loves it so much when Jensen is very oral when they make love, when he’s kissing or sucking or licking at Jared, like he just can’t get enough.   
  
“Harder,” Jared begs in a whisper and collapses forward as Jensen obliges, lips and teeth moving to the hypersensitive mating mark on the join of Jared’s neck.  
  
Jared shouts Jensen’s name and bucks against him as the Alpha’s tongue strokes over the scar.  It’s almost too much.  It  _is_  too much.  Between the heavy stimulation coming from his mark and his mate pounding into him, thrusting in deep and hitting his sweet spot with almost every stroke, he’s about two seconds away from exploding, dangling on the precipice of pleasurable oblivion.  
  
And then Jensen runs his fingers through Jared’s hair, taking a tight handful and pulling his head back, and Jared loses it, falling apart under Jensen and shooting his release into the sheets of their bed with a deep moan and a shudder.   
  
As he goes slack and loose-limbed, sated for the time being, Jensen grinds against him, pushing his knot into Jared and grunting when it locks them together.  Jared would have thought that being seven months pregnant would have stopped or at least abated his want and need for Jensen to tie them, but it hasn’t.  If anything, he’s more ravenous for his mate than ever before.   
  
He can feel it building, Jensen’s orgasm, and he loves this part just as much as his own release.   
  
“Come for me, Jen,” Jared murmurs, turning to look over his shoulder, watching his beautiful mate as his face and chest flush red and he stutters out his orgasm, fingers digging into Jared’s hip as he continues to grind into Jared with small circles of his hips.  
  
“God, Jared,” Jensen gasps, punctuating it with jerks of his hips and pulses of his seed that Jared is almost sure he can feel.  “You’re going to kill me.”  
  
“You’ve guessed my plan,” Jared fake frowns, pulling a gasping chuckle from Jensen as he pulls them both to lay on their sides, Jensen’s breath heavy, his chest pressing against Jared’s back with every inhale and his breath moving Jared’s hair on every exhale.   
  
Jared is content here.  Happy.  And worn out.  
  
Without even meaning to, he falls asleep in Jensen’s arms within minutes, still tied together.

  
* * *

  
Jared wakes the next morning to the feel of Jensen plastered to his back.  He can smell the toothpaste on Jensen’s breath and feel the expensive fabric of his suit.  Jared smiles and places a hand over Jensen’s where he’s rubbing at Jared’s stomach.  This is his second favorite way to wake up.  His favorite is obviously with some kind of sex.  
Jensen smiles against the back of his neck and presses a kiss into his skin.   
  
“Morning,” Jared croaks over his shoulder.  
  
“Morning,” Jensen greets in his deep rumble.  “I didn’t mean to wake you.”  
  
“That’s okay,” Jared says.  “I don’t mind.”  
  
“I have to go in to interview more candidates for the Council today.  There’s still a seat open that needs to be filled.  And I’ve got a few meetings that popped up,” Jensen explains.  “I’ve also got to make sure that beta from yesterday is registered and flagged, just in case she tries to pull that shit again.”  
  
“It’s okay, Jen,” Jared says softly.   
  
“I don’t want to leave you here alone,” Jensen admits, holding him tighter.  
  
“How long before you have to leave?” Jared asks.  
  
“Another five minutes,” Jensen answers.  
  
“Then cuddle me for five minutes,” Jared says.  “I’ll be fine.  I may even invite Misha over for lunch or something.”  
  
“That sounds like a good idea,” Jensen agrees.   
  
The Alpha really doesn’t like leaving Jared this far into the pregnancy.  He’s still hovering, and it’s getting worse, but Jared doesn’t mind so much because he’s starting to get to where he wants Jensen around all the time too.

* * *

He’s just under eight months along at his next checkup.  It’s getting pretty late in his pregnancy and the more he thinks about it, the more nervous he gets.  Jensen’s not helping much, but he’s at least trying to fake it, if only for Jared’s sake.   
  
“How are we doing today?” Dr. Rhodes asks as she pops into the exam room, a bright smile on her face.   
  
Jensen immediately starts fidgeting more from his seat, glancing between Jared and Dr. Rhodes anxiously.  
  
“Good,” Jared responds when it’s clear that Jensen isn’t going to say anything.  
  
“Any swelling, headaches, some contractions?”  
  
“Contractions?”  Jensen speaks up, voice sharp and slightly alarmed.  “Is that normal?”  
  
“Relax, baby, I’ve had none of that,” Jared assures them both.   
  
“How about fatigue, moodiness, or any aches and pains?” Dr. Rhodes continues.  
  
“I’m easy to wear out these days,” Jared admits.  “But I keep trying.  I think any moodiness is just the normal, hormonal stuff, like crying over commercials for chewing gum or the ASPCA, and I’ve been relatively pain free, though my lower back does ache a bit from time to time.”  
  
“Are you doing anything for it?” she asks.  
  
“Rest, mostly,” Jared answers and she nods.   
  
“Good, good,” she says.  “How active is your pup?”   
  
“Pretty active, really,” Jared says with a soft laugh.  “Sometimes it feels like a game.  It’s kind of fun, at least until it’s not fun.”  
  
Dr. Rhodes smiles at that and so does Jensen.  
  
“Activity is a good thing,” she says.  “If there’s any decrease in movement, I want you to call me immediately, okay?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared agrees.  “Will do.”  
  
“Okay, Beta, I’m going to check a few things real quick and then we can talk about any concerns you have.  Sound good?” she asks.  
  
“Sounds good,” Jared agrees, watching as she checks his hands and ankles and face, and then she feels around on his belly.  
  
“He’s a pretty good size,” she states.  “Right on track, I believe.”  
  
She gets out the ultrasound and they hear their baby boy’s heartbeat fill the room while the black and white image of him lights up the screen.  
  
“Everything looks normal,” Dr. Rhodes announces after it’s all over and done with.  “You’re having yourself a textbook pregnancy here, Beta.”  
  
“That’s good?” Jared asks more than says.  After all of the reading he’s done, he’s not sure what textbook she’s talking about.  
  
“Very,” she says brightly.  “This is exactly how I wish all of my male carrier pregnancies went.”  
  
“That’s a relief,” Jared says with a smile.  “So, when should we start talking about the birthing process?” Jared asks, one hand over his rounded stomach and the other fiddling with the paper cover on the exam bed.  
  
“We could talk about it now, if that’s what you’d like, Beta,” Dr. Rhodes says.  
  
“I just want to know what’s best for our pup and what’s supposed to happen,” Jared says.  
  
“Well, when it comes to delivery, I recommend you meet me at a hospital.  UT Southwestern has the most advanced werewolf birthing facility, but if you have another in mind, I’m open to your preferences,” she says.  
  
“What about home birth?” Jared asks.  
  
“I would not feel comfortable with that for your first pup, Beta,” Dr. Rhodes replies.  “Males are much different than females when it comes to delivery.  Females, for example, can give birth in either human or wolf form, but males have to shift.  When you go into labor, it might be more difficult to call your wolf out and any problems we may encounter can be easily taken care of in the hospital.”  
  
“I see,” Jared says, recalling the various and gory recounts of carrier births gone wrong in some of Misha’s books, leaving betas dead or permanently sterile due to the butchering they endured when they couldn’t shift.  Before the invention of modern medicine, carriers had a greater chance of dying than their children in the process, but now, Jared knows, the success rate is very high and the risk to him is extremely low.  
  
“Why don’t we see how you do with this one and then we can go crazy next time, okay?” Dr. Rhodes bargains.  
  
“Sounds fair,” Jared agrees with Jensen nodding vigorously at his side.  
  
“Is there anything we should be looking out for at this time?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Keep an eye on the baby’s activity level, and if you start having contractions, let me know,” she says.  “They could be Braxton-Hicks, but with you this close, I’d rather not take any chances.  Just take it easy and keep doing what you’re doing and I have every confidence you’ll all be fine.”  
  
“Thank you, Doctor,” Jensen says and Jared echoes.

  
* * *

  
They have the baby shower less than a month from his due date.  The Council, some of the Alphas in the area, and Jensen and Jared’s families are invited.  Jared’s mom arrives the day before and she bursts into tears (happy tears, she assured him) the moment he opens the door.  
  
“Oh, my stars, Jared.  My darling boy,” she gasps.  “Just look at how big you are!”  
  
Jared could really do without everyone pointing that particular detail out, but it’s kind of hard to miss, so he grits his teeth and smiles through it anyway.  
  
“Hey, mama,” Jared greets her, pulling her into a hug.   
  
“Do you know what you’re having yet?” she asks the second he shuts the door.  
  
“No  _how are you doing?_ ” Jared teases.  “Just going to lead with that?”  
  
“Oh, honey,” Sherri looks horrified.  “I’m so sorry.  I just, I got focused and I shouldn’t have and--”  
  
“Relax, mama,” Jared smiles and pulls her close again.  “I know what you meant.  But I can’t tell you.  We’re announcing it tomorrow at the shower and I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”  
  
“Well, so long as no one else knows, I suppose I’ll survive,” Sherri says.  
  
“Just me and Jensen and our doctor,” Jared assures her as he leads her into the living room and collapses on the sofa.   
  
“How have you been?” she asks giving him a once over and brushing his hair away from his face like she used to do when he was young.  It makes him feel better than he has in days.   
  
“Tired, mostly,” Jared admits, leaning into her touch, savoring it.  “I’m just ready to be done with this, I guess.  I want to hold him in my arms and meet him.”  
  
“I know exactly what you mean,” Sherri says with a fond smile.  “Why don’t you have a little rest and I’ll get my things settled?”  
  
“Okay, mama,” he agrees, leaning all the way back against the sofa and drifting off to the sounds of his mother moving about the house.  
  
When he wakes, it’s to Jensen brushing his hair back, stroking his other hand over Jared’s stomach and humming a slow melody to their son.  Jared keeps his eyes closed, pretending to sleep, listening to the soothing tone of Jensen’s beautiful voice.  
  
“I know you’re awake,” Jensen says softly.  “Your heartbeat picked up.”  
  
“That’s what gave me away?” Jared grumbles.  “I was enjoying listening to you.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen says.  “Even when you were asleep, I could feel your attention on me when I started humming.”  
  
“You should keep going,” Jared encourages him.  
  
“Any requests?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Anything you want,” Jared answers, closing his eyes and smiling as Jensen starts humming a different song.   
  
When they go to bed that night, after dinner with both Jared’s mother and Jensen’s parents, Jared lets Jensen take him into his arms again and sing him softly to sleep.  And if Jared’s not mistaken, he thinks their pup is lulled to bed by the sound of his father’s voice as well

* * *

  
The baby shower is going great.  Misha is there, hanging out in a dark corner with several betas, telling them who knows what, their attention firmly fixed on him.  Vicki is conversing with Alan about the secession of Denton from the Fort Worth and Dallas Packs over a century ago.  Members of the Dallas Pack Council are in attendance as well.  Jewel had said hello earlier and introduced her mate, and Sebastian had clapped them both on the shoulders and congratulated them again.  
  
And Chris and Steve arrive late and smelling of each other and sex, much to Jensen’s obvious amusement.  Jensen doesn’t miss the opportunity to thoroughly rib the Fort Worth Alpha, who had returned the favor with a sharp comment that has them both laughing.  
  
“I bet you’re ready,” Steve says directly to Jared with a smile and a nod to his belly while the Alphas exchange a more appropriate greeting for their station.  “Man, eight months.  I don’t think I was your size at eight months.”  
  
“When have you  _ever_  been my size?” Jared cracks a grin.  
  
“Point,” Steve concedes.  “You sure you’re not packing twins?”  
  
“Very,” Jared says, stroking his stomach.  “I’m just enormous.”  
  
“But still gorgeous,” Jensen says, slipping up next to him, curling an arm around his waist and kissing him just below his ear.  
  
“I still think we need to get your vision checked,” Jared jokes.  
  
“Nonsense,” Jensen counters and then turns to Steve.  “Tell him, Steve.  Chris was the same way, wasn’t he?”  
  
“Oh, goodness, yes,” Steve laughs.  “I could hardly keep him off of me.  He was completely infatuated with everything.  I even caught him writing some really awful poetry one day.  That’s where I drew the line.”  
  
“Was it really that bad?” Jared asks.  
  
“Chris might be a fantastic musician and songwriter, but a poet he is not,” Steve grins as Chris makes his way over to the trio.  
  
“My ears are burning,” Chris says in greeting.  “Y’all talking about me?”  
  
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Jensen says.  
  
“Nah.  That’s what you’re for, Jenny,” Chris winks at him.  
  
“Bitch,” Jensen snarks.  
  
“Hey, there are innocent ears here,” Chris points to Jared’s stomach.  “Watch your filthy mouth.”  
  
“Oh, whatever,” Jensen rolls his eyes with as much dignity as Jared thinks he can muster.  “See what I put up with?”  
  
“You love it,” Chris says.  
  
“Yeah, well, I’m going to go love it in the kitchen,” Jensen states, holding up his empty glass.  “Want to come?” he asks Jared.  
  
“Okay,” Jared agrees.  “We’ll catch you guys later?”  
  
“You bet,” Steve says with an easy smile and they part.  
  
Jared follows his mate into their kitchen, weaving around groups of people they both know.  He waves to Misha and a few of the Council members and gives Jensen’s parents a smile.  
  
“Water?” Jensen offers him a bottle once they’re by the fridge.  
  
“Sure,” Jared says, glancing back out to the wolves gathered in their home.  “We’ve had a pretty good turn out.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen agrees.  “Doesn’t hurt that we’ve got a lot of good friends.”  
  
“Certainly doesn’t,” Jared says.  “We’re very lucky, me especially.”  
  
“Now, you know I disagree with that,” Jensen steps close, close enough for his body heat to seep in to Jared.  “I’d have to say that I’m the lucky one here.”  
  
“Love you,” Jared blurts and then kisses Jensen.  
  
“See?” Jensen says with a soft smile when they part.  “Lucky me.”  
  
Jared smiles back and then their attention is grabbed by raised voices coming from the dining room.  
  
“You know nothing,” is growled, and Jared recognizes the voice as Vicki’s.  
  
Without a word, Jensen starts in her direction with Jared hot on his heels.  
  
“Hey, what’s going on?” Jensen asks as they find Vicki and the mate of a Chancellor in a heated conversation.  
  
“Nothing, Jensen,” Vicki says.  
  
“I’m only going to ask once,” Jensen warns, turning to the wolf in question as he averts his gaze and shows his throat to his Alpha.  
  
“I merely made an observation, Alpha,” the man says.  
  
“Regarding?” Jensen demands.  
  
“Jensen--” Vicki starts, but Jensen cuts her off with a wave of his hand and a stern look at the man he’s questioning.  
  
“The other Alpha of Denton,” the wolf answers quickly and softly.  
  
“And what gives you the right?” Jensen demands.  “The affairs of Alphas are not for Chancellors or their mates.  You disgrace yourself and your mate for bringing it up to the Alpha of another territory, and you dishonor me by behaving in such a manner in  _your_  Alpha’s home.  I suggest you find your mate and leave.  You’ve overstayed your welcome.”  
Jensen glares at the wolf until he is gone from sight and then turns back to Vicki.  
  
“I’m sorry about that,” he offers.  
  
“Come now, Jensen,” Vicki flashes him a ghost of a smile.  “It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.  I’ve managed to grow quite the thick skin.”  
  
“But you should be given more respect than that, especially in my territory and especially in my house,” Jensen says.  “Old prejudices, it seems, die hard.”  
  
“And a lack of information doesn’t do anything but fuel rumors,” she adds.  “Would that it were so easy.  You two are very lucky.  Don’t let my issues spoil your evening.  This is about  _you_ , Beta, and I for one know that I cannot wait to meet your beautiful pup,” she addresses Jared.  
  
She grins, deftly turning the conversation back onto them, but there’s a lingering sadness, one that Jared intends to investigate later.  But for now, he’ll let her have this.

  
* * *

  
It’s when the party begins to wind down and Vicki gets ready to leave that Jared sees his opportunity.  He follows her to collect her things and tries to figure out how to broach the subject.  
  
“Jared,” Vicki says kindly as she finds her jacket and handbag.  “What can I do for you?”  
  
“A long time ago, Jensen defended you to Chris about a mate,” Jared says as Vicki slips on her jacket.  “And tonight made me think of it again, the way you deflected what that wolf said about your father.”  
  
“If you’re asking, I do have a mate,” Vicki says.  “One I love very much, but it’s also complicated.  Jensen is very understanding. He’s been one of our biggest supporters.”  
  
“If you’re mated, why is your Beta never around?” Jared asks.  “I know we’d like to meet him.  Or her.”  
  
“You’re very sweet,” Vicki smiles, giving him a quick hug.  “But you’ve already met my mate.  I’d even go as far as to say he considers you one of his closest friends.  One that would do anything for you, any time, anywhere and loves doing yoga with you more that he’ll ever admit, even when you complain the whole time.”  
  
“ _Misha_?” Jared says, surprised.  When did  _that_  happen?  Misha never even gave away that he had someone in his life, much less a mate.  
  
“We all have our secrets,” Vicki says.  “And we all have our reasons.”  
  
“That we do,” Jared agrees.  “If you guys need anything, you’ll let us know?”  
  
“I wouldn’t dream of asking anyone else,” Vicki assures him.

  
* * *

  
Misha comes by a few days later to go on a walk with Jared.  He’s getting too heavily pregnant to do much else, and this is the last bit he’s managed to hang on to.  He refuses to give in to being too big to do anything just yet.  
  
“Why didn’t you tell me you and Vicki were together?” Jared asks Misha as they walk(waddle, more like, at least for Jared) around the block.  He’s getting to be too big for this to be enjoyable anymore and he knows he’ll miss being able to go on walks if he’s ordered to bed rest.  
  
“It’s not official,” Misha admits.  
  
“Have you talked about making it official?” Jared asks.  
  
“It’s not that simple,” Misha says.  
  
“I’m Pack Blood mated with another Pack’s Alpha,” Jared points out.  “My own father kidnapped me to break up our mating and some of the Council conspired to have me killed.  So, you want to try again?”  
  
“I cannot enter Denton Pack Territory until her father dies or lifts my banishment,” Misha says.  
  
“What happened?” Jared gasps, eyes wide.  He can’t imagine that mild-mannered Misha could have ever done something worthy of being kicked out of an entire Territory.  
  
“He does not approve of our mating either,” Misha says.  “Not that it has stopped us,” he smiles, pulling his shirt up to show Jared his mate’s mark on his hip.  “She petitions him every day, hoping her persistence will prove our love to him, but so far without success.”  
  
“Isn’t she Alpha, though?” Jared asks.  
  
“She is,” Misha replies.  “But like Jensen, if there is a law her father has enacted, he has seniority despite her status as the Alpha in power.  But Jensen’s father is a man of reason and logic and has fully ceded power to his son.  My mate’s father has not.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jared says.  “I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t live with Jensen, if I didn’t wake up with him next to me every day.”  
  
“I’m not saying it’s easy,” Misha says.  “But we owe a lot to Jensen for turning a blind eye to us and anything we do in his Territory.  He has made sure that we have a place where we can be mates.”  
  
“So that’s why he trusts her so much,” Jared comments.  “And did he know you?  That first day when you had to stop me from embarrassing myself?”  
  
“Vicki and I had already been meeting in his Territory for months,” Misha states.  “I suspect he could smell her mark on me, but we hadn’t formally met before then.  I would not have lied to you about that.”  
  
“I know,” Jared says.  “You’re a good friend, Mish.  Even if I know you’re here half of the time as my babysitter.”  
  
“The Alpha is concerned about you, Jared,” Misha points out.  “He needs to know that you’re protected, especially now that you carry his pup.  It seemed to be the best way to let you have your independence while keeping him at ease about your safety.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared agrees.  “I yelled at him the last time he got a little too controlling, and pretty much every other time as well,” he admits.  “I know he’s trying, but I still don’t blame him for keeping eyes on me.  I would too if I were in his position.”  
  
“He loves you very much,” Misha smiles and Jared catches a hint of sadness in his eyes.  
  
“Hey, Vicki’s Dad can’t keep you apart forever,” Jared says.  “You’ll get to be together soon.  I know it.”  
  
“I hope so,” Misha agrees.

* * *

  
Jared’s never been more uncomfortable in his life.  He’s just a week shy of his nine month mark, and today has won the award for worst day ever.   
  
He woke up with a back ache, not that he’s surprised because his baby is enormous.  It’s been aching off and on since then and nothing makes it any better, not the juice Jensen’s been giving him, not the back rub, not the several naps he’s tried to take.  Nothing.  It just keeps coming and going.  
  
“I’m so huge,” Jared complains from where he’s parked on the couch.  His insides are all squished together and it’s making him very unhappy.  “Your spawn is gigantic.  Why did I let you do this to me?”  
  
“I’m sorry, baby,” Jensen says, sliding the coffee table under Jared’s feet.  
  
“I’m never having sex with you again,” Jared threatens, even though they both know he’s full of shit.  
  
“I don’t blame you,” Jensen agrees anyway.  “Is there anything you want me to do for you?”  
  
“Get this thing out of me,” Jared states.  “I was so wrong.  This was a bad idea.”  
  
“You’ll be alright,” Jensen reassures him.  “Dr. Rhodes said it’s only a matter of days now.”  
  
“Can’t we induce?  I want him out of me now,” Jared groans.  
  
“Is it really that bad?” Jensen asks and then shuts his mouth at the glower Jared sends his way.  
  
“Let’s shove a watermelon up your ass and see how great you think it feels,” Jared snaps and then stops.  “God, how are they even going to get him out?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Jensen admits.  “Don’t you have to shift or something?”  
  
“Yeah, which I can’t imagine doing in the state I’m in,” Jared complains.  “Which means that she’ll probably have to force the shift, and it’ll be traumatic and I hope like hell they knock my ass out.  That’d probably be a good thing,” he says thoughtfully.  “I think if I have to be awake for the whole thing, it’d probably put me off of having more.”  
  
“More?” Jensen raises an eyebrow at Jared’s rapid change in opinion.  
  
“I didn’t mean it when I said this was a bad idea,” he says.  “I’m just grumpy because I’m crampy and fat.”  
  
“You’re not fat,” Jensen argues.  
  
“I know,” Jared sighs.  At least, he won’t be for long.  “Can you get me some water?” he asks.  “I don’t think there’s a chance in hell of me getting off of this couch again for at least another three hours.”  
  
“Sure.  I’ll be right back,” Jensen replies, kissing Jared softly and leaving the room.  
  
And that’s when Jared notices a warm wetness where he’s sitting.  It’s a little peculiar because he doesn’t recall needing to go to the bathroom, and he’s never lost control over himself, no matter how hard the baby was kicking.   
  
But that could only mean…  
  
“Jensen?” Jared calls in his calmest voice, getting the Alpha’s attention.  “I think we should go to the hospital.”  
  
There’s a crash from the kitchen that makes Jared wince, and then the sound of rapid footsteps as Jensen rushes back into the livingroom.  
  
“Is something wrong?” Jensen asks.  “Are you all right?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m great, but,” Jared answers, realizing the back cramps he’s been feeling all morning must have been contractions.  And oh shit...  “I either just peed myself or it’s time to go.”  
  
“Okay,” Jensen leaps into action, running through the house and grabbing all of the bags they’ve had packed for days.   
  
Jared grimaces as a contraction hits him just as Jensen passes by, sending the Alpha into a fit.  Seems they’re both more sensitive to it now that they know what’s going on.  
  
“Dude, calm down,” Jared commands.  “Just get the car ready and give me my phone.”  
  
“What?” Jensen asks dumbly.  
  
“My phone?  So I can call Dr. Rhodes and tell her to meet us at the hospital,” Jared clarifies, holding out his hand.  
  
“Right,” Jensen replies, handing Jared his cell phone before going back to packing the car.  
  
Jared dials Dr. Rhodes’s number and puts the phone up to his ear.  
  
“Hey, Doc,” he greets her.  “I think this is it.”  
  
“That time already?” she asks.  “Is Jensen freaking out?”  
  
“Pretty much,” he responds, staring down at his swollen belly.  It’ll be nice to have his abs back.  
  
“Okay.  I’ll meet you guys there,” she says excitedly before disconnecting.

  
* * *

  
Jensen’s driving leaves a lot to be desired, Jared finds, his frequent lane changes and varying speed making Jared want to throttle him from across the console.  But he gets them to UT Southwestern in one piece.  Dr. Rhodes is waiting for them at the emergency entrance, pushing Jared into a wheelchair and hurrying them all into an elevator to get them to the werewolf birthing ward.  
  
They get him set up in a room and Jensen takes a seat next to him, barking orders at nurses every time Jared looks like he might be in pain.  
  
“How are you holding up?” Jensen asks as he fidgets in his seat.  
  
“I’m pretty good,” Jared responds, reaching out and taking Jensen’s hand.  “You?”  
  
“I’m alright,” Jensen says.  
  
“Liar,” Jared challenges him.  
  
“Can’t fool you, huh?” Jensen says.  “I’m nervous, scared, but mostly worried about you.”  
  
“I’ll be fine,” Jared assures him.  “Dr. Rhodes is the best, and we’re in a good hospital.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen acknowledges.  “Are you comfortable?”  
  
“As comfortable as I think I’m going to get at this point,” Jared says casually, but even now he can feel the flush of heat as another contraction edges its way in.  He tries to keep his expression neutral, but he tightens his hold on Jensen’s hand and gives the game away.  
  
“Again?” Jensen asks, voice tinged with concern.  “So soon?”  
  
“Kind of the point,” Jared grits.  “They’re supposed to get closer together.”  
  
“But your water just broke,” Jensen says.  “Isn’t it supposed to go slower?”  
  
“How the fuck should I know?” Jared says through his teeth.  “Not like I’ve done this before.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jensen says almost automatically.  “What can I do to make it better?”  
  
“Stop asking me so many questions,” Jared snaps back, feeling sweat break out as his insides cramp and shift uncomfortably.  “And stop fussing.  You’re worse than my mother.”  
  
“Anything you want, baby,” Jensen agrees, squeezing Jared’s hand back as the pain begins to recede.  Jared’s grateful that Jensen is so easy going, and it probably doesn’t hurt that he’s his mate and feels guilty and responsible for every little bump in the road Jared’s had to experience, otherwise Jared’s sure Jensen would have put him in his place for being so out of hand with his Pack Alpha.  
  
As his contraction fades away, Jared takes a couple of deep breaths of relief and stops taking it out on Jensen’s hand.  He’s glad, and not for the first time, that Jensen’s an alpha.  It’ll take a lot more than Jared to hurt him, and if he insists on holding Jared’s hand, which does actually help, then he’s going to be taking a lot more than verbal abuse from his beta.  
  
A little while later his contractions are close, probably close enough for a check in, so he looks over to Jensen and gives him a little smile, trying to reassure him that everything is okay.   
  
“Maybe we should get Dr. Rhodes,” Jared suggests as Jensen grabs a cool, damp cloth from the nightstand and wipes the sweat from Jared’s face with it.  “Mmm, that feels nice.”  
  
“Still want the doctor?” Jensen asks with a smile.  
  
“Yeah, but come right back,” Jared says.  
  
“Alright,” Jensen responds, standing and giving Jared a kiss on the top of his head before going to the door and flagging down a nurse.  He talks with her briefly and then returns to Jared’s side.  “She’s on her way.”  
  
“Good,” Jared says, relaxing back as Jensen picks up his hand again and laces their fingers together.  
  
A few moments later, Dr. Rhodes comes in with a cheerful smile on her face.  
  
“How are you doing?” she asks Jared.  
  
“Great,” Jared lies.  
  
“How close are your contractions?” she asks.  
  
“A few minutes,” he admits.  
  
“And how would you rate them?  One being weak and ten being very strong,” she continues.  
  
“Between and eight and a nine,” Jared answers.  “It seems like the second I catch my breath, another one starts.”  
  
“Alright, let’s check on how you’re doing down there and then we’ll see what our next step is, okay?” she says, waiting for Jensen’s small nod of consent before lifting the sheet that covers Jared from the waist down.  
  
Jensen squirms a bit and gives her a sour look, but remains silent and relaxes a little when Jared gives his hand a squeeze.  It’s not like she’s trying to do anything to him, and Jensen knows that.  Jared just has to remind him to make his wolf chill out every now and then.  
  
“I’m going to start you on an IV and get you to delivery,” she says after her quick examination.  “You’re about ready to pop.”  
  
“Finally,” Jared sighs as he holds out his free arm for the doctor.   
  
She pushes the IV in and hangs a drip bag that a nurse brings in before they both leave again.  It’s not long before the medicine starts to take effect.  Jared feels a little disoriented and then Dr. Rhodes is back with a team of nurses.   
  
The last thing Jared coherently knows is that they’re all beta and natural omega, and the last the he clearly sees is Jensen’s worried face as they wheel him out of his room and down the hall.  The rest of it is a blur of lights and noise.

  
* * *

  
He’s sore when he comes to and a little groggy, eyes feeling heavy and everything else hard to control and slow to respond.  The first thing he recognizes, though, is Jensen at his bedside, a small blue bundle in his hold.  
  
“Hey,” Jared croaks out, surprised at how rusty his voice is.  
  
“Hey,” Jensen replies softly, eyes wide and concerned as they take Jared in.  “How do you feel?  Is everything alright?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared answers.  “I think I’m good.  Just sore,” he says, looking at the bundle in Jensen’s arms.  “Is that…?”  
  
“Our son,” Jensen beams.  “Two eyes, ten fingers, ten toes.  I counted them myself.  He’s perfect.”  
  
Jared smiles.  
  
“How did… did you… do I even want to know?” he asks, kind of curious as to how the whole process went.   
  
“They didn’t tell me anything other than how great you both were,” Jensen responds.  “And all I know is that you’re here and he’s here and that’s all that matters to me.”  
  
“What’s his name?” Jared asks.  
  
“I was waiting for you,” Jensen says.  
  
“You didn’t have to,” Jared points out.  It’s accepted practice that the alpha in a pairing name any pups and it still surprises Jared a little that his alpha would disregard that custom as well as so many others.  
  
“I wouldn’t have done it without you, Jared,” Jensen says.  “He’s as much yours as he is mine.  I wouldn’t rob you of naming your child.”  
  
“Thank you,” Jared says, smile firmly fixed.  “Did you have any ideas?”  
  
“I want him to have both of our last names,” Jensen says.  “You?”  
  
“I think we should name him after your brother,” Jared adds.  
  
“Joshua?” Jensen asks, eyes wide and shiny as a deep spike of affection for Jared pulses through their bond.   
  
“Joshua Ackles-Padalecki,” Jared smiles, liking how it sounds.  
  
“I like it,” Jensen smiles back.  “It’s a good name.”  
  
“He’ll be a good alpha,” Jared says.  
  
“Or beta,” Jensen amends.  “I’ll love and support him either way.  We’ll do right by him, no matter his status.”  
  
“I love you, Jen,” Jared says.  
  
“Love you too,” Jensen returns.  “Want to hold him?  The wet nurse just fed him and he’s all sleepy and calm now.”  
  
“Yeah, of course,” Jared answers, pulling his sore body more upright as Jensen transfers the small bundle into his arms.  
  
His heart swells in his chest as he takes in the smushed little face, scrunched and serious in his sleep.  There’s a small tuft of dark hair sticking out from under the blanket and one tiny fist curled against his chin.  It’s the most perfect thing he’s ever seen and he can’t help but love Jensen even more for giving him this, for sharing this wonderful thing with him.  
  
“Beautiful, isn’t he?” Jensen asks, half-sitting next to Jared on the bed as he leans into his mate.  “Wait until you see his eyes.”  
  
“Oh?” Jared asks, turning toward Jensen.  
  
“Green,” Jensen replies, grinning.  “With a hint of hazel.”  
  
“Sounds perfect,” Jared responds.  “I can’t believe he’s here, that we did this.  It’s so amazing.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen says.  “Knowing you did this, that you gave me this perfect thing, is the most humbling experience of my life,” he whispers.  
  
Jared smiles and tilts his face up to Jensen’s, silently asking for a kiss.  Jensen obliges, bringing their lips together and kissing Jared softly and reverently and Jared can feel all of the love and awe Jensen has for him in that moment.  
  
A knock at the door startles them apart and Jared blushes a little as a petite nurse comes into the room.  
  
“Bedtime,” she smiles, pushing a clear crib up next to the bed.  “It’s good to see you awake, Beta.”  
  
“Yeah, it’s nice to be up,” he agrees, allowing the nurse to take Josh and tuck him into the crib.  
  
“If you need anything, let us know,” she says cheerfully, after checking them both over.  “We’ll take good care of you and your little angel.”  
  
“Thank you,” Jared smiles at her as she leaves.  “Want up here?” he offers Jensen, scooting over and patting the bed.  “I know it’s not what you’re used to, but it’s UT’s finest,” he laughs.  
  
“Move over, moose,” Jensen grins, tucking in as Jared lowers the head of the bed to lay flat.  
  
“I missed you fitting your arms around me,” Jared says as he snuggles into Jensen in a way he hasn’t been able to for months now.  “And sleeping on my stomach,” he adds.  “Oh, and my six pack.  I’m definitely getting that back.”  
  
“I gotta admit,” Jensen begins, lacing his fingers through Jared’s as Jared puts their joined hands over his heart.  “As much as I really, really liked you all round and full with our child, I miss your six pack too.”  
  
“I knew you were shallow,” Jared grins, teasing his mate.  
  
“Go to sleep,” Jensen laughs.   
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Jared says.  “Good night, baby.”  
  
“Night.”

* * *


	4. Epilogue

“Josh and Jen are asleep,” Jensen announces in a whisper when he comes back into the nursery.  “How’s Tristan?” he asks, eyes darting to the sleeping toddler in Jared’s arms.

  
“Out cold,” Jared says in a low voice, smiling down at their youngest pup.  His brother and sister had worn him out trying to goad him into shifting, running around him and yipping at him in their wolf-pup forms for most of the day.  
  
Tristan had been their surprise pup.  Jared had been firm after Jenna about stopping, but two years, a mess up on suppressants, and one careless, desperate heat later found Jared and Jensen expecting again.  And then Tristan was born, all perfect and beautiful and instantly Jensen’s favorite.  Jensen spoils the little pup rotten, much like he’s done for all of their children, but Jared can tell that the preference runs much deeper than just that of a parent and their newest child.   
  
Jared has his suspicions, and Jensen’s never said anything outright about it, but he’s pretty sure Jensen’s fondness comes from Tristan being a beta.  More than pretty sure, actually, even with him being too young to present.   
  
Jensen reaches down and gently transfers Tristan into his strong hold, leaning into the slumbering toddler and nosing his wild chestnut hair.  Jared smiles at the sight, a warm feeling spreading through his chest, and he knows that Jensen’s favorite smell is their youngest son.  Josh already smells so much like the strong alpha he’ll become, and Jenna smells sweet and girly, but with an edge that communicates her alpha status too.   
  
But Tristan… Tristan smells soft and safe, like sunshine and moonbeams, glowing and warm and everything Josh’s and Jenna’s and Jensen’s scents will never be, and Jared knows that this is what earns the little boy his sire’s and siblings’ favor.   
  
“I love you,” Jared says quietly, but Jensen hears him, green eyes going immediately to his.  “Just thought I should tell you,” he explains, a small smile tugging the corners of his lips up.  
  
“Love you too, Jay,” Jensen says.  “Both of you.”  
  
“I know,” Jared’s smile grows.  “Let’s get him tucked in and then go to bed.  Sound good?”  
  
“Yeah.  Sounds great,” Jensen answers, following as Jared moves to the crib and arranges the bedding for Tristan.  
  
Jared watches, enthralled by the sight of Jensen and Tristan as he always is, the father of his children taking extra care to put the small boy to bed without waking him or disturbing his slumber.  Jensen smiles fondly as he tucks their son in and smooths a hand over his back.  
  
“You’d think that after three kids I’d be used to this, but it’s just so hard to leave him,” Jensen says.  “You’re so much better at letting them be.  I just want to take him and hold him tight and never let him go.”  
  
“I’m not saying it’s easy,” Jared replies thoughtfully.  “But I don’t know, I spent nine months carrying them around.  I guess I just feel okay with being away from them, if that makes any sense.”  
  
“A little,” Jensen gives a small laugh and a shrug.  “I’m just a little in awe of him.  And you.  You’re both amazing.  I don’t know and I don’t want to know what my life would have been like without you.”  
  
“I assure you,” Jared begins, stepping close to the Alpha,  _his_  alpha, and leaning into him.  “The feeling is mutual.”  
  
Jensen pulls him close, his warmth and his deep scent permeating Jared’s senses as he revels in being close to his mate, both of them watching their son sleep soundly.  
  
“Want to go to bed now?” Jared offers, suggests, otherwise Jensen might stand there all night, watching Tristan sleep.  
  
“Yeah,” he agrees, tearing his gaze from their son with obvious effort.  “Let’s go.”  
  
With one more glance to Tristan, Jared manages to get Jensen out of the nursery and into their bedroom down the hall.  They both strip down quietly and crawl into bed, Jensen pulling Jared to him and burying his nose in Jared’s neck.  He sniffs a few times and then pulls back, giving Jared an odd look.  
  
“What?” Jared asks.  
  
“Your scent,” Jensen says, pushing him onto his back and running his nose across the girth of Jared’s chest, tongue darting out to lick up his sternum, tasting him.  “It’s different.”  
  
“Well, I  _am_  on suppressants.  _New_  ones,” Jared reminds him, arching up into his touch.  Jensen’s nose is light across his heated and sensitive skin and want rushes through him at the intimate caress.   
  
“I know that scent,” Jensen says, voice low and dark.  “This is different.  You smell--”  
  
“Don’t say it,” Jared hisses, knowing how Jensen would have finished that sentence.  “Jensen, Jesus fuck,” he swears.  “It’s going to be  _you_  on the suppressants if you don’t quit knocking me up.”  
  
Jensen’s response is a roguish grin.  
  
“I’m serious,” Jared groans, rubbing a hand over his face as Jensen remains draped across him.  “It’s like you have some super Alpha sperm that’s impervious to all forms of birth control.  And I haven’t even been through a heat!”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jensen offers unconvincingly.  
  
“No, you’re not,” Jared counters, rolling his eyes.  
  
“No, I’m not,” Jensen grins and it lights up the room.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, fine,” Jared sighs.  “But this is absolutely it.  Four is my limit.”  
  
“That’s what you said about three.”  
  
“ _And_  two, in case you’ve forgotten,” Jared points out.  “Despite what you might believe, I do  _not_  want to bear you your own personal army.”  
  
“I don’t think I’d survive even  _asking_  you for that,” Jensen laughs.  “Besides, I’m not even sure I’m right.  I’m just saying I can smell a change in your body.  And maybe we should go see Dr. Rhodes tomorrow or something, just to be sure.”  
  
“Poor Kim,” Jared laughs.  “You’d think she’d be sick of us by now.”  
  
“I’m shocked as hell that she hasn’t castrated me yet,” Jensen responds.  “I’m half-convinced she’s considering it.”  
  
“Well, as often as she’s had to see us for things, I’m kind of surprised she hasn’t either,” Jared agrees.  “But we’ll see her tomorrow and if I am… well, we’ll be fine.  We’ll just have another pup.”  
  
“Maybe another girl,” Jensen grins.  
  
“Yeah, maybe,” Jared smiles back.   
  
“And if you aren’t?” Jensen asks.  
“Then we’re going to have to figure something out, because  _four_  is  _not_ something I’m planning on having right now,” Jared answers.  
“Right now?” Jensen asks.  
  
“Give me a year?” Jared requests.  As much as he stomps his feets and draws lines in the sand, thinking about another little girl does make him think twice.  “Let’s get Tristan solid on shifting and potty training before we talk about it, okay?”  
  
“Fair enough,” Jensen nods.  “So tonight?” he asks, rubbing his nose under Jared’s chin and pressing a kiss to the tender skin of his throat.  
“Off the table,” Jared says firmly.  “I know you, and you’ll be in the mood to take risks, and we shouldn’t until we know for sure.”  
“Is  _everything_  off limits?” Jensen asks, pulling back and arching an eyebrow at Jared as he trails his hand up the inside of Jared’s thigh.   
  
“Okay, not everything,” Jared concedes, shuddering and pushing into Jensen’s hand.  “But you’re not fucking me.”  
  
“Doesn’t mean you can’t fuck me,” Jensen says, low and dirty and coy.  Jensen doesn’t offer this often, and Jared understands the magnitude of it, of Jensen giving this opportunity to him.  And where Jared would rather Jensen fuck him nine times out of ten—well, more like ninety-nine times out of one hundred—the rare occasions he gets to return the favor set his blood on fire, the heat between them scorching, and Jensen allowing Jared a moment of dominance is almost too much for him to take.  
  
“Jensen,” Jared says on a breath, hands drifting to the Alpha’s hips.  
  
“Want that?” Jensen asks, sitting up and straddling Jared’s thighs, rolling his erection into Jared’s.  “Wanna fuck me, Jared?”  
  
Jared groans and pushes up against his mate, fingers tightening on the cut of Jensen’s hips as he pulls them together.  God, Jensen’s so hot like this, stringing him out and teasing him to the point of oblivion, acting wanton and so incredibly sexy.  Not that he isn’t most days.  Jensen’s sex on legs twenty-four/seven, but Jesus Christ, Jared can’t take much more of this.  
  
“I remember the last time you fucked me,” Jensen says, hands moving across his own body, teasing himself as much as he’s teasing Jared.  “I remember how you felt inside of me.  God, I wish you could knot me so I’d know how it feels, how it makes you feel, how it makes you come apart and moan and hang off my cock like you’ll die if I take it out.”  
  
Jared struggles to say something,  _anything_ , but he’s stunned into silence by Jensen’s filthy mouth and the hot show he’s putting on, writhing on Jared’s lap.  
  
“I love to watch you lose control like that,” Jensen continues.  “You need me so bad sometimes, but when you take me, when you lose yourself in me and let your wolf out, fuck, it’s so beautiful, so perfect,” he says, slipping a hand down between Jared’s legs.   
  
Jared moans at the feeling of Jensen’s fingers so close to his aching hole.  He wants Jensen in him so bad he can taste it, and he arches into the touch, bucking up against Jensen as he tries to spread himself open for his mate.  
  
“Fuck, you’re so wet,” Jensen groans.  “I bet I could just slide right into you without any prep,” he comments, pushing two fingers into Jared and curling them against his prostate.  
  
“Jesus Christ, Jensen,” Jared gasps, white hot pleasure rocketing through his body at the caress as Jensen pumps his fingers into Jared a few times, just enough to  _really_  get him wet and gagging for it, almost desperate enough to hang the consequences and beg Jensen to fuck him anyway.   
  
He shudders and whimpers as Jensen pulls his fingers out, but the protest he was about to make dies in his throat as he watches Jensen arch up and bite his lip as he pushes his fingers, wet with Jared’s juices, into his own ass.   
  
“Oh my god,” Jared says in disbelief.   
  
He can’t really wrap his head around what he’s seeing, but there is no mistaking the look of pleasure-laced concentration on Jensen’s face or the soft sucking sound of his fingers working in and out of his body.  A moment later, Jensen pulls his hand away and licks it in several long, broad swipes before taking it to Jared’s throbbing cock and slicking it up.  Jared holds his breath in anticipation, steeling himself for being inside Jensen again.   
  
It’s difficult to keep control, and he’s white-knuckling it, twisting his fingers in the sheets, before the head of his dick even breaks through the tight ring of Jensen’s hole.  He doesn’t know how he’s going to make this last, how he’s even going to  _survive_ , and then Jensen’s sinking down on him, taking him in deep.  Jared’s completely encased within the hot, tight grip of Jensen’s body and it’s suffocating, the need he has for his mate nearly halting his ability to breathe.  Luckily, Jensen is still in control, is  _always_  in control, and his voice brings Jared back from the brink, soft and breathy in the quiet of their room.  
  
“So good, Jay,” Jensen says as he begins riding Jared with the slow roll of his hips.   
  
Jared grunts in agreement, shaking hands going to the strong thighs of his alpha, feeling the tight, solid muscles move under his palms as Jensen picks up the pace, working Jared hard.  Jensen leans back, balancing and bracing himself with a hand behind him on Jared’s leg.  It’s obscene, the way Jensen’s displayed, stretched out away from Jared, writhing on his cock and praising him for it with every breath.   
  
“So perfect,” Jensen moans.  
  
Then Jared slips his hands up to Jensen’s hips and digs in, tightening his grip as he braces his feet on the bed and thrusts up into his mate.  The choked gasp Jensen lets out is the most beautiful sound Jared’s ever heard.  
  
“Again,” Jensen begs, demands.  “Again, Jay.”  
  
Jared obliges, fucking up into Jensen with the abandon of a much younger man, the Alpha meeting him thrust for thrust, and Jared can feel his fangs drop, his teeth sharpening as a deep growl resonates in his chest.   
  
“Touch yourself, Jen,” Jared commands through gritted teeth.  “Make yourself come for me.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen pants, hand stripping his cock fast and rough as he rides out Jared’s sharp thrusts.  “Fuck, Jay,” Jensen gasps as he works himself.  
  
Jared shifts this way, then that, and then he’s rewarded with Jensen coming with a shout all over his chest, his eyes wide in surprise.  All Jared can do is grin in satisfaction at having fucked the orgasm from his mate as he chases his own.  
  
Jensen pants above him, hand still wringing more and more come from his dick--not as much as when they knot, but still enough to get sloppy wet and dirty.  The Alpha meets Jared’s eyes and before he can even issue the command to come, Jared’s spine snaps tight and his hips grind into Jensen’s once more as his orgasm explodes out of him in a brilliant, sparking rush.   
  
He’s left feeling out of body, his whole entire being vibrating with the experience of giving his mate pleasure and taking the pleasure his mate has given him in return.  Jensen lets out a slight hiss as he lifts himself off of Jared and collapses gingerly at his side, making some comment or another about his supposedly old joints protesting such activities that Jared doesn't have the energy to call bullshit on, nor does he have to if the grin Jensen’s leveling at him is anything to go by.   
  
He lets Jensen clean them both up and when the Alpha comes back to bed, he lets Jensen take him under his arm, Jared’s nose tucked into Jensen’s neck.  Jared loves this, loves feeling warm and safe in his alpha’s hold, loves being so near to him, close enough to take in lungful after lungful of the Alpha’s wonderful scent.  He knows he’ll never grow tired of it, of this, of _them_.   
  
He can’t help but smile as he thinks of his life and where he is in relation to where he’d been and how he’d gotten there.  The journey wasn’t always easy, but it was always worth it.  His mate, their children, they’re worth everything, and he never lets himself forget.  
  
“I love you, Jensen,” Jared says softly into the warm skin of his mate’s throat.   
  
He can feel more than hear the contented rumble from his alpha’s chest before he replies.  
  
“I love you too, Jared,” Jensen returns just as softly, pulling back to press a gentle kiss to Jared’s mouth.  
  
And yeah, even knowing about the hardships and the heartbreak, the fear, the doubt, and how hard he’d have to fight, he would do it all over again in a heartbeat.   
  
Because here is where he belongs, with this wolf that has given him everything, and in return who he has given himself to--mind, body, and soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see http://luvmuffinfic.livejournal.com/31028.html for rambling author's notes and a few tied up loose ends. ^_^ Thank you and if you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed reading!

**Author's Note:**

> See http://luvmuffinfic.livejournal.com/31028.html for author's notes/silly rambles.


End file.
